The Keychain
by Marjorie Franklin
Summary: What if Aqua was able to take Ven back to Master Eraqus? Xehanort would get nowhere without him, and this simple action set a new future into motion. Hoping to change the course of fate, Master Eraqus informs Terra and Aqua that they are victims of a powerful, predestined bond called a Keychain. Will they accept this intimate link or will their cruel fate truly be inevitable?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

_**A/N:** This story is a what-if scenario of what could have happened if Aqua had actually taken Ven back to Master Eraqus after the trio's brief reunion in Radiant Garden instead of merely telling him to go home and proceeding to chase after Terra like she did in Birth by Sleep. It is set three years after Aqua returned to The Land of Departure with Ventus and is only SEMI-AU. I have only altered the events that occur AFTER the first visit to Radiant Garden and even with those alterations, there will be lots of similarities between the actual storyline and my what-if universe. Enjoy!_

* * *

_**The Keychain**_

_**Chapter 1**_

* * *

_"Listen to me, Ven… We need to get you home—"_

"_It's okay, Aqua! Trust me, that guy in the mask is history. He'll never badmouth Terra again," Ventus explained coolly and confidently._

"_You saw the boy in the mask?" Terra took hold of Ven's shoulder, gripping it so tightly and with so much force the boy reeled backwards._

_Aqua noticed Terra's fierceness, his aggression, his savage obsession that lingered between his words and manifested through his blunt actions. She wanted to confront it, she _**needed**_ to confront it, but in that moment, she was at a loss for words._

"_Y-Yes?" Ven answered with sweeping amounts of uncertainty and a touch of fear._

"_Vanitas," Terra said under his breath._

"_Ven. You let Aqua take you home," he continued._

"_No way. I wanna go with you guys," the blonde Keyblade wielder feverishly objected._

"_You can't. We have a dangerous task ahead of us. I don't want you to get hurt," Terra responded._

"_And what is this dangerous task, Terra?" Aqua questioned cynically, her eyes reluctantly rising to meet his. "It doesn't sound like what the Master told you to do."_

"_It might be a different route, but I'm fighting the darkness," he replied, attempting to reassure her._

"_I'm not so sure. I've been to the same worlds as you and I've seen what you've done." Her eyes wandered over the blue material of the reactor beneath her feet. "You shouldn't put yourself so close to the darkness."_

"_Listen to yourself, Aqua. Terra would never—"_

"_You mean you've been spying on me?" Terra bit back and the fact that his tone changed was not lost on her. _"_Is that what he said to do? The Master's orders?" _

_He was asking questions he already knew the answers to and there was so much pain and hurt in his indigo eyes, but she stubbornly tried her best to ignore it._

"_He was only—" Aqua looked away. She couldn't take him looking at her like that. She thought she could but she couldn't. It was like she felt his pain, the betrayal he felt… Could she actually feel what he felt? Was that possible? It certainly felt like it._

"_Aqua." Ven looked over at her._

"_I get it." Terra's voice was low, almost a whisper._

"_Terra!" Ventus called after him when he saw the torment Aqua both saw and felt within their dear friend. The pain she had ruthlessly, mercilessly, and savagely caused._

"_Just stay put!" the older boy roared without looking back at his companions. He clearly didn't want their sympathy nor could he stand looking at them anymore…specifically _**her**.

"_I'm on my own now, all right?" he declared boldly and without hesitation, his words causing Aqua to recoil._

_No, that wasn't what she wanted at all! She didn't mean to hurt him- at least she didn't_** think** _she did. She just wanted him to open his eyes and see what he was doing. She did it to help. She was just trying to be a good Master…to keep the balance…to protect him from himself…_

"_Terra, please listen!" she cried and fought the powerful and almost uncontrollable urge to run to him. "The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried."_

"_You're awful, Aqua," Ven said matter of factly, and he was right. Aqua completely concurred. She _**was** _awful._

"_So now you know the truth." She sighed once she got a hold of herself. "But the Master loves Terra and you know that too."_

"_Were you also 'ordered' to take me home?"_

_She didn't answer._

"_Aqua…now that you've become a Keyblade Master, you've let it go to your head. I'm gonna go find Terra."_

* * *

Aqua woke with a jolt, covered in a cold sweat, her dream forcing her to relive that day over and over again. Tears she didn't recall giving permission to stream down her face mercilessly cascaded down the contours of her cheeks. Her chest burned, as did her eyes and even her bones, her mangled guts coiling with guilt.

"You're awful, Aqua," she chided herself, parroting her friend's harsh, yet traumatically true words in the stale blackness of early morning.

Another restless night... Aqua never slept anymore, not really. She would go to sleep but then she was plagued by either unpleasant memories or fierce nightmares. When she closed her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness, Unversed, tawny eyes, and χ-blades.

That man, gone, but forever present in her nightmares. His face, the words in his reports, and his student's faceless mask had been forever engraved into her corneas.

Accepting that she would not be going back to sleep any time soon, she sat upright in her bed.

She had learned to live off little to no sleep.

The Keyblade Master rubbed her aching head and massaged her throbbing temples. As she shifted in bed, the dry rustling of Xehanort's reports caused her to cringe.

She'd fallen asleep reading them… Again.

Silently, she picked up the scattered pages of what had become the bane of her existence for the past three years. The damned pages mocked her, laughing at her when she was awake and haunting her in her sleep.

Aqua was convinced the clue to where Xehanort was hiding was in those pages but for the life of her, she couldn't find that clue no matter how many times she read the twisted, bone-chilling ravings of that old, sick, demented man.

Truth be told, sometimes, she thought _she_ was the one that was demented. Maybe she was trying to find logic in reports that lacked any and all logic. Perhaps she couldn't find the answers she sought because they were not to be found within those blighted pages. Maybe they were just the incoherent ravings of a mad man who had gone off the deep end years ago, but she couldn't stop reading them, no matter how painful and hair-raising it got.

It didn't matter how many times she read them, when she read of what he wanted to do to Terra and Ven she would get light headed and downright sick to the point where she felt she would surely lose _everything _in her stomach or pass out.

The more twisted and curious part of her couldn't help but wonder what he planned on doing with _her_. Kill her she supposed. However, the thought of him killing her paled in comparison to the fear, anger, and sorrow she felt for what had almost happened to her dearest friends, her counterparts, her companions…those who meant the most to her.

Aqua hated Master Xehanort. She had never hated anyone in her life until she read those reports she had slowly obtained during her travels.

Hate was something the Master had taught her to disavow for it beckoned the darkness, but she just couldn't help it. She _hated_ that man. She hated Xehanort and she wished him dead. He deserved it for all he had done and for all that he_ wanted_ to do. She hoped he had gone off to die. She hoped that was the reason why he'd seemingly vanished into thin air three years ago, but she knew that wasn't the case. That would be too easy. He was out there somewhere…waiting…plotting…probably writing more twisted reports just like the ones she gathered off the blue surface of her bed.

Shaking hands touched the page that spoke of Terra. Her bloodshot eyes of blue shut tightly as she tried her best to not read the harrowing page… Although her eyes didn't rake over the paper, the memory of the words on the page sang to her within her head. It was a wicked lullaby whose lyrics and music notes had been forever hammered into her eardrums and formed deep, cavernous wrinkles in her brain…

_'I had not visited this second home of mine for some time, and discovered Eraqus had already two pupils of his own. Within one of them, Terra, I sensed something. The boy, though well-intentioned, seeks power single-mindedly. And that kind of hunger is a seedbed for darkness._ _I had found my vessel.'_

She wanted to rip that cursed page to shreds as if it could somehow keep that fate from ever transpiring, as if it could keep Xehanort from ever laying a foul hand on Terra, but before she could, she was reading it again…

_'The time has come. I have received word from Eraqus that his pupils are to become true Keyblade Masters. Terra and Aqua...They will be easy now to lure into the outside world. But Ventus! I will get nowhere without him._

_Vanitas can feel some of what Ventus feels, and he says Terra is the key. Ventus has loved Terra like a real brother ever since he let him keep his old wooden Keyblade. It seems we have found a loose thread at which we can tug to unravel Ventus's heart._

_The first step is to get Terra alone; then we need to plant the seeds of doubt in Ventus. Let him carry his faint light as he chases his brother into the darkness._ _Let the darkness make his light stronger, then let the light deepen the darkness. And where the two finally meet is where the stuff of legends will become real.'_

With a heavy heart and a heavy sigh, Aqua put the worn pages in order and placed them on her white bedside table before she succumbed to temptation and set them all on fire.

It was so scary to think about how close they came to oblivion. Xehanort had been so close…

Aqua shuddered at the thought and took her sleeping Wayfinder off the nightstand, trying to use it to distract herself because she couldn't think about that. She just couldn't think about how close they were to…

No, she just _couldn't _think about it. Her mind refused. It hurt too much. It didn't happen and it wasn't real so why couldn't she keep herself from thinking that it was? Probably the nightmares...

Aqua had dreams, dreams where these events transpired, where Terra and Xehanort merged, where Ventus and Vanitas formed the χ-blade, and where she was left alone and cold in a bitter, blackened world she had never laid eyes on before. Walking…always walking…aimlessly and ceaselessly walking in darkness for eternity while her friends wasted away, forever out of her reach...where she would never be able to find or help them…

"It's not real… It's not real…" she desperately tried to convince herself, hoping that saying it aloud would offer her solace and reassurance, two sensations she hadn't felt in years. She was always unnerved, always worried, always on the threshold of completely and utterly miserable or insane. She wasn't sure which.

"It's not real... It's not real... It's not real" Aqua chanted like mantra and instinctively squeezed her Wayfinder so tightly that she almost drew blood.

Subconsciously, Aqua rubbed her sore throat with her free hand and fought the haunting, metaphysical constriction that tightened around her neck. Although she hadn't dreamt of a silver-haired Terra with gleaming golden eyes strangling her to death, she still rubbed her throat and almost_ felt_ the memory. That dream was the worst and the one that seemed to linger the longest and haunted her the most.

The Master almost had a heart attack when he heard her muted screams cutting through the night terror and penetrating their way into reality. The screams could be heard throughout The Land of Departure as if they emerged from the rasping throat of a banshee. Once the screeching stopped, the marks remained on her throat as if his hand had truly attempted to squeeze her breath and life right out of her. Bruises that no Curaga spell could disperse marred the skin of her neck for hours.

Putting an end to her self-induced torment, Aqua got out of her bed to attempt to prepare for a new day. It would be a new day full of the same redundancy she had endured for the past three years, a winding, dizzying rut of chasing ghosts or waiting for ghosts.

Aqua tenderly put her precious Wayfinder in her pocket and put on her usual clothes before she unhurriedly exited her room, her childhood room, the room she inhabited when she wasn't out on duty in other worlds.

The Keyblade Master quietly walked through the castle and figured she would journey to the summit and practice a bit before the rest of the castle woke. Once everyone rose, she would go to ask Master Eraqus if he had any tasks for her and Ven, and if he didn't, she would probably decide to venture out on her own and chase ghosts…

If Aqua were honest with herself, she would admit that she didn't want to receive that look from her Master, that look of sympathy, sorrow, and confusion, a look that said so much without him uttering a single word but still said everything that he had said to her many times before.

'_Why do you stay? You know you don't have to.'_

'_Did you have another night terror?'_

'_You know, you can obtain pupils of your own.'_

'_What's wrong, Aqua?'_

'_You shouldn't blame yourself. You need to let go of this guilt.'_

'_Why don't you go to some of the other worlds and try to enjoy yourself?'_

Master Eraqus wanted her to attempt to take on some form of normalcy during their limited time of fragile peace, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop thinking that Ven needed her and she couldn't keep herself from waiting for Terra to come back home…

She had this absurd notion in her head that Terra would come home and when he did, she wanted to be there. He would come back to her. He had to… Her heart demanded it. They needed him. _She _needed him. Home wasn't home to her without him.

Before she could journey to the Summit, a very chipper Ventus greeted her at the castle steps and she forged a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She hadn't_ really_ smiled since…_that night_, the night before the Mark of Mastery Exam.

"Good morning, Ven. You're up early."

"Yeah...I, uh, had some stuff to do." Ven nervously rubbed the back of his neck, earning him a perplexed look from his comrade.

"Did you sleep okay last night?" he asked, quickly changing the subject but his look of concern didn't go unnoticed.

"Not really. I had the dream about Radiant Garden again," she confessed as she continued her trek down the massive, lavender stairwell that led visitors to the castle's entrance.

"The memory one?" Ventus asked as he fell in step behind her. "It's been a while since you had that one."

"Yeah, I managed to wake myself up before you told me that you found Terra but he was gone…"

Aqua was glad she had woken up before it got to that point in the recurring dream. To her, that was the worst part, hearing Ven tell her that Terra was gone…

"You really need to stop beating yourself up about that." Ven shook his head and looked at her solemnly.

"Maybe I should have gone after him. Maybe I should have sent you back home by yourself instead of coming back with you…"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't have gone unless you went with me."

"Still…I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I would have gone after him instead of taking you home. Maybe… Maybe he would be here with us now if I had…"

"Or maybe none of us would be here," Ventus mused darkly.

Aqua giggled in spite of herself. "True, but I suppose it doesn't matter now. I can't undo what's been done."

"Nope! You're stuck with me!" Ven smiled.

Aqua managed to smile too but didn't stop her trek towards the summit.

"Whoa! Hey!" He chased after her and blocked her advance with his body. "Where are you going?"

"To the summit to spar. Wanna come?"

"No, you can't go!"

"Why not? What's wrong?" she asked and she knew Ven could see the panic in her sky blue eyes. He didn't like it but she couldn't help how she automatically expected the worst and instantly went into panic mode the moment anyone said something that was somewhat out of the ordinary.

"N-Nothing. You just need to come back to the castle with me," he explained, clearly fighting the mischievous grin that threatened to consume his face.

"Okay." Aqua crossed her arms. "What do you know that I don't?"

Ventus was now a handsome eighteen-year-old but he would always be like her little brother, he would always be that wide-eyed boy she needed to look after and protect even though his face had lost its childlike quality. His features had become more angular, but he still had his slender build. He had gained more height than girth. His height had surpassed her own, but she still had ways of making him feel three inches tall, and the look she was giving him now was one of them.

"Oh, nothing. Just that Master Yen Sid is here, and he and Master Eraqus will want to see you." He smirked again.

Aqua merely nodded. "Oh, well, I guess I should go greet our guest. Thank you for informing me of his visit."

"Sure thing!" Ventus beamed like a child.

The mage could help but notice how he had maintained his childlike optimism and innocence in spite of everything. She loved that about him, even envied it a bit because she wasn't sure if she could handle the unfairness that had been forced onto him because of Master Xehanort's madness.

Because of the plan involving the χ-blade and the fact that both Xehanort and Vanitas were still out there somewhere, Ventus wasn't allowed to grow too strong or become a Master. Master Eraqus offered him as many freedoms as he could, but that wasn't much. He trained, sparred, and frequently visited other worlds with Aqua, but because Ven was growing and maturing and since Xehanort, Vanitas, and the χ-blade were still a frightening possibility, precautions had to be made and strict limits had to be set.

It wasn't fair but life wasn't really fair. No, it _definitely_ wasn't fair but Aqua couldn't help feeling like this was better over the alternative. Surely this was better than Ven being lost or killed to create this χ-blade. She just hoped that Ven understood that they did what they did because they loved him and they wanted to protect him, not out of cruelty or to punish him for something that clearly wasn't his fault.

Damn Xehanort. _Damn_ him. If it weren't for that vile man, they wouldn't have to live in fear. They wouldn't have to take such unfair precautions and they wouldn't have to live life constantly looking over their shoulders and perpetually walking on eggshells.

Aqua frequently wondered about what could have been. What if they were able to stop him? Would Terra be with them? Would he and Ven be the amazing Masters she always knew they could be? Would she be happy? Would she still feel as diseased as she did now? Would she be able to sleep in peace without wondering which dream would torment her next?

Shaking her head, she regained her Master's air. She put on her professional face and straightened her posture as she reentered the fortress they called home and prepared to face the Masters.

The young woman walked through the corridor of glimmering, vibrant stained glass with a quiet, composed Ven on her heels. Her silver, armored shoes clinked loudly against the golden flooring she had waltzed upon thousands of times before.

"Good morning, Master Aqua." Eraqus smiled at her when she reached the steps leading to the dais of thrones, his silvery eyes shimmering with warmth and compassion.

"Good morning, Master, Master Yen Sid." She bowed gracefully and Ventus mimicked her actions at her side. "I apologize for my tardiness. I wasn't aware we had company."

"That is quite alright. No harm done." Master Eraqus bobbed his head. "But we do have a task for you."

"Ventus." The Master cast his gaze back to the blonde wielder beside her. "Can you give us a moment to talk to Aqua alone?"

"Of course, Master." Ven bowed and the way he held himself reminded Aqua of Terra. She could tell he still idolized Terra and tried follow in his footsteps.

"I'll see you later." Ventus grinned and patted Aqua's shoulder causing her to beam up at him before he exited.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful…" Aqua began once Ven exited the throne room, "but why can't Ventus be present during my briefing?"

Aqua was nothing if notprotective of Ventus and she did everything she possibly could to make sure he was included in everything since he was frequently held back by the bitter grip of fate and even her own unintentionally traitorous hands. So if Ven could do something without endangering himself and in turn endangering countless others, Aqua wanted him to do it. She wanted him to spread his wings as much as possible although she knew he would never be able to truly do so with Xehanort lingering in the shadows.

"We have already spoken to Ventus and we have decided that this assignment is to be yours alone," Master Eraqus answered confidently as he stood regally before her.

"And what assignment is that, Master?"

"Master Yen Sid and I have important news regarding you and Terra."

Aqua's eyes widened and her heart clenched at that name. Anytime _his_ name was spoken aloud, it caused her physical pain.

"We want you to go to Traverse Town and ask Terra to come here, to The Land of Departure, so we can speak to both of you about this matter in person."

"I-I still don't understand…" Her eyes fell as she slowly shook her head. "Why can't Ven come with me? Surely we would have better chance of convincing him to return if we spoke to him together. The three of us—"

"Aqua," Yen Sid politely interrupted from his seat in one of the three thrones, "We wouldn't ask you to do this alone if we didn't feel it was a necessity."

Aqua closed her burning eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. This terrified her. She didn't want to go alone. She and Terra hadn't parted on good terms… She hadn't spoken to Terra since their fight in Radiant Garden three years ago, since he realized the Master had sent her to '_spy'_ on him right before she had returned home with Ven and right before Xehanort, Vantitas, and the Unversed mysteriously vanished.

"Of course." She straightened her posture and tried to keep her spiraling emotions in check. She had to be professional, she had to be strong, and she had to be a Keyblade Master. "I would never question your decisions. I shall leave right away."

"And don't worry about Ventus," Master Eraqus quickly added. "He agreed that you should do this alone. He said that he would eagerly await your return. He also insisted you bring him back as soon as possible since he will not be venturing to Traverse Town with you."

Aqua smiled and nodded even though she knew they were not telling her everything but she assumed she would be informed in time. It was not her place to question their decisions or reasoning and it was definitely not her place to go against Ven's wishes.

The Keyblade Master bowed before calmly leaving the castle and going to find Ventus.

It didn't take her long to find him. The instant she opened the fortress's doors, she saw him sitting at the foot of the towering stairwell, swinging his Keyblade at the air around him.

"Ven?" she called as she began descending the stronghold's oversized steps.

His ears perked up as her voice pierced the silence around him. He excitedly stumbled to his feet, turned, and ran to the stairs to meet her.

"So?! How excited are you?!" he cried, practically jumping out of his shoes.

This was truly puzzling. Why was he so excited about her going after Terra_ alone_? She was sure he would want to come with her to retrieve their old friend for a meeting with the Masters. She expected him to be upset, not _excited_ that she was going alone.

"I'm…nervous…" she confessed as her eyes fell to his feet and she resisted the urge to hold her Wayfinder. "Why don't you want to come with me?"

"Oh, don't misunderstand me. I want to see Terra more than anything, but after talking with the Masters…and given the way you and Terra left things… I-I know how guilty you feel and I just thought that it would be best if you two talked it out without me. You know, the way you two used to when you fought."

With a dejected sigh, Aqua nodded.

It was clear Ven wasn't a child anymore. This was a very selfless and mature decision and impressive evaluation on his part. He had always been more mature in regard to the whole Terra situation, but then again, it was easier for him to be. They had parted on better terms and Ven even visited him in Traverse Town from time to time.

Now that she thought about it, she was the only one who hadn't seen or confronted him since Xehanort's_ second_ disappearance. Master Yen Sid spoke to him more than anyone while she and Eraqus maintained a strained relationship with him but she didn't expect anything less. In Terra's eyes, they had betrayed him. The overwhelming sense of failure and the stubborn notion that he was unfit to face _any_ of them after what he had done and what he had almost done didn't help things either. The whole situation was…messy to say the least.

"You two can work it out and who knows! Maybe he'll finally come home for good. If anyone can convince him that he is worthy of returning home, it's you…and Master Eraqus," he quickly added the Master at the end of his sentence and Aqua raised a skeptical, blue brow at him. "Yen Sid and I have tried but…"

Aqua nodded again so Ven would know that he didn't have to say anything else and that she understood. Terra was nothing if not stubborn.

"I'll try my best!" She grinned and Ventus embraced her.

"Be careful, okay? And hurry back! The three of us have some serious catching up to do."

She could tell he was thinking that things would go back to normal… Why he thought that was beyond her…

_Don't hold your breath, _she thought but kept the pessimistic statement to herself.

Aqua couldn't figure out why he was so happy and optimistic. If he couldn't convince Terra that he was worthy of coming home, what made him think that _she _could? Why would Terra listen to her? Even if she_ could_ somehow convince him to speak with the Masters, she seriously doubted Terra would stay. He would probably listen to the news, the assignment, whatever it was the Masters wanted to speak with them about, and bolt. Ven knew this as well as she did and yet he was optimistic which only fueled her suspicion that he knew something she didn't. Yes, he _definitely_ knew something she didn't.

* * *

"Thank you again for coming all this way for us, Master Yen Sid." Eraqus took a seat in the throne next to the sorcerer. "I apologize for bringing you further into this, but I really don't know what else to do. I am at wit's end. Aqua seems to be getting worse every day…and Terra…"

"How are her dreams?" Yen Sid changed the subject before his fellow Master could trek further into depressing territory.

"About the same, I suppose. She doesn't speak to me about them unless I confront her about them. She doesn't say so…but I think she has them every night. You saw her eyes… It looks like she never sleeps…"

"The night terrors should go away when she is reunited with her counterpart. The dreams are the link's way of trying to tell her that she needs to go to him. I'm sure Terra is experiencing some form of suffering as well. They will continue to suffer if they continue to deny and strain the bond."

"I wasn't aware that Keychains could be so…_aggressive._" Master Eraqus's brow furrowed.

"Each one is different and it also depends on the type of Keychain they have. If it is obligational, then the link will tighten and torture those involved as the need for the Keychain intensifies and if it is romantic, being apart would essentially torture them in the same way. However, romantic Keychains are eternal while obligational Keychains only last until the conflict or task that caused the Keychain to come into existence is completed." Yen Sid stroked his long beard as he reclined in the throne.

"Which do you think they have?" Eraqus asked, sounding more like a concerned parent than a Master.

"Hmmm, there are a wide range of possibilities and I know very little of Keychains because they have become so rare but if I had to guess, I would say this is probably an obligational Keychain, one that was birthed out of the need to put an end to this pending or _postponed_ conflict with Xehanort. It is probably destiny's way of protecting them from external forces and even from their own powers."

"I truly hope this can make a difference… It seems fate has decided to put matters into its own hands. I just hope Terra and Aqua can accept it."

"It doesn't matter if they do or not. It already exists. You have seen that yourself. You see Aqua's torment. She feels it and experiences side effects of resisting it although she is unaware of its existence. To be blunt, they have no choice in the matter. It is predestined. Fate has formed this union for them."

* * *

Dismounting her Keyblade glider, Aqua released a belated yawn. The ride to Traverse Town took longer than expected and she was tired, but she was _always _tired considering she never really slept. Such was her life now. It was a life full of perpetual sleep deprivation, but it was only one of the many symptoms of her unknown ailment, the unidentified disease that slowly ate away at her aching soul.

Pushing the depressing and gloomy thoughts away, Aqua dispersed her armor, revealing the simple clothing underneath.

Before she left The Land of Departure, she had changed into civilian clothing, a white tank top and jeans to be precise. She'd learned during her recent travels that people were growing more suspicious and she had begun changing her attire to try to match the culture of the worlds she visited. She had to keep the order and the secrecy of other worlds but with advancing technology and curious individuals, that was becoming harder and harder to do.

Aqua laced her fingers, held her arms over her head, and stretched out her rigid muscles and the stiffness that had crept into her joints while she'd sat atop her glider. While stretching, she walked through the outskirts of glowing town of neon and approached the First District.

As she walked through the town of perpetual night, she saw why Terra had been drawn to it. It was quant but lively, busy but not too noisy or cumbersome, big but not_ too_ big. Should she live to retire, as Master Yen Sid had, she would want to relocate to an area like this one. Somewhere where she could spend the rest of her days in peace, however, she would prefer an area that experienced daylight.

Aqua's feet slowly began to turn to stone as she approached the spacious Second District where she knew Terra lived—at least that was what Yen Sid had told her. He lived here when he wasn't out protecting the balance and seeing other worlds. She hoped she would catch him between worlds so this trip wouldn't be in vain…or prolonged if she chose to wait there for him.

Her heart grew as heavy as did her feet as she climbed the steps and made her way through the small crowds of giggling children and gossiping adults.

Once she reached the Second District's hotel, she entered through its luminous, yellow dual doors.

She was so nervous she was shaking and felt like she might even get sick.

_"Can I help you?"_

The voice was kind but still caused Aqua to yelp like a girl and jump out of her skin. She fought the urge to summon Rainfell as she turned to address whoever was speaking to her.

It was merely the innkeeper, a kind looking man with blue-gray eyes, brown hair, dressed in a tidy, blue blouse.

_Not a threat, just a civilian. _

"Oh!" the Keyblade Master cried and held a trembling hand over her hammering heart. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude… I've just been a bit jumpy lately."

The innkeeper grinned. "No, it was my fault for not being more considerate of my guest."

Honestly, she hadn't even realized she had made her way down the hotel's long hallway to the counter so it surprised her to see and hear someone addressing her. Physically, she had walked to the counter but emotionally she was about a thousand worlds away.

"So, Miss, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. I was told he was staying here. He's tall, has brown hair, dark blue eyes, and…" she started to say dark but she was trying to stop using that word to describe him.

"Terra?" the man inquired as he drummed his fingers on the sleek wood of the front desk.

"Yes, sir." Aqua nodded.

She didn't want to say his name right away. There was a possibility that Terra was using an alias now and if he was, she didn't want to be throwing his real name around. However, Terra seemed to be taking a blunt approach as always. She hoped that hadn't come back to haunt him. It was dangerous for him to be throwing his real name around while Xehanort was still out there, probably searching for him, his _vessel._

"When he's here, he stays in room two down the hall…but he isn't here much." The hotel owner shrugged.

"That's all I need to know. Thank you so much." Aqua beamed before turning on her heel and venturing down the hallway to the room he referred her to.

The fact that it had been so easy to figure out where Terra was staying did nothing to ease her frazzled nerves. Terra was a big boy and could easily take care of himself but Aqua couldn't help but worry about him. She worried about him every minute of every day but him being on his own worried her even more because that was what Xehanort wanted. According to his reports, that was the first thing he needed to do: get Terra alone.

Mark one up for Xehanort. Terra was alone.

'_I'm on my own now, all right?' _he had shamelessly declared and he had meant it. From that day on…he was and had been on his own.

Shaking her head as if it could erase the thought, she continued down the hallway to the door with a number two carved into its surface. When she reached his door, her hand timidly flattened against its wooden contours. She gingerly caressed its ridges as if she could touch_ him_ through it, as if she could affectionately touch him without spurring confusion and anger in him.

Her eyes closed and she traced the outlines of the door and she could almost see him by simply touching what he had touched.

It was cold. It had been a while since he'd been there. The trail was stale and hard to follow but she had picked up on it nonetheless. He was hard to see and he was smothered in shadows so she couldn't get a good impression of what he looked like now.

Realizing she was being strange and downright peculiar, she snatched her hand away from the door as if it had burned her.

What _was_ that? How did she know touching the door would work as a form of link between her and Terra? How did she know that she could essentially touch him by touching what he had touched? She supposed it was some Keyblade hocus pocus that she didn't understand or know of or maybe it was the magic in her Wayfinder or her own magic for that matter. She was always doing weird mage things subconsciously…

Oh, well, it didn't matter. She just needed to just knock on the door instead of _touching_ it.

This was it. He was either on the other side of this door or he wasn't. A part of her preferred the latter. Correction: the _coward_ in her preferred the latter.

_No, I'm not a coward! _she proclaimed privately.

She took her Wayfinder from her pocket for assurance, courage, and comfort before finally knocking on the door.

_Eek! Why did I do that? _she quickly contradicted herself and glared at the hand that had betrayed her.

Her heart was going to bludgeon its way right out of her chest. She just knew it. It was going to beat right through her sternum then it would plummet to the floor and rest at her feet. Then, when Terra opened the door, he would crush it beneath his armored boot.

After what seemed like hours, there was no answer. Swallowing her pride and her burbling fears again, she knocked a second time.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited, but he didn't answer.

Of course, he didn't. That would be too easy. Why would he answer her now? Why would he come to her now after refusing to do so all these years? Why did she expect him to answer her pained, desperate cries for him now?

Aqua folded her arms and tapped her chin as she contemplated what she should do now. Should she stay and wait for him? How long would she have to wait? Her subconscious told her forever because it seemed like that was all she ever did anymore: she waited for Terra to return to her but he never did. Did she need to go home and inform the Masters she couldn't locate him? Was failure an option with this _task? _How important was this task? Was this even a task? It seemed more like a request.

The Keyblade Master assumed she had a few more hours to kill. She figured she could enjoy the sights of the city a while before visiting his room again. She would try again, then she would return home with or without him.

Exhaling, Aqua turned on her heel, gently placed her Wayfinder back in her pocket, and journeyed back down the hotel's seemingly endless hallway. She exited through the double doors and violently crashed into something that felt like a lot like rock wall.

Grunts erupted from her throat and the throat of the boulder she collided with as she collapsed into its warm, yet sturdy chest.

_Wait… Boulders can't grunt…and they definitely don't have warm chests…_

"I'm so sorry. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going," a deep, sincere voice apologized as painfully familiar arms loosely embraced her and chivalrously helped steady her.

Her voice failed her as she realized who held her and who was speaking to her. It was _him. _She had finally found _him._

Instinctively, her hands gripped fistfuls of the black t-shirt he wore. Her scalding eyes closed and she pressed her cheek to his well-muscled chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

For the first time in years, she was soothed. His touch offered her relief. She actually felt comforted. It was like someone had _finally_ cast Curaga upon a huge gaping wound that had been torturing her for years. Her nerves no longer felt scraped and raw and her soul no longer ached. She wasn't worried about _anything_ anymore and she felt like she could finally close her eyes and sleep, _really_ sleep.

Her knuckles blanched as she gripped the fabric that covered his torso, holding onto it for dear life before he realized who she was, before he realized who clung to him. It wouldn't be long now before he noticed her blue head and he would know. He would pry her off of him and the dull ache that persistently tormented her would return. That disease would reestablish its hold and her bones would burn, her muscles would sting, and her nerves would curl in discomfort as her body seemed to reject itself.

Aqua needed to stop, she knew that, but it had just been so long since she had seen him or felt his presence, and even longer since she had actually _touched_ him. The beautiful hum of his vocal chords against her cheek and his sweet earthy scent in her lungs was heavenly.

Oh, how much she had missed him! She missed him so much that even the mere thought of letting him go now that she had finally been reunited with him made her feel like she would die were she to be separated from him again.

All at once, she felt him stiffen against her. His chest rose and expanded as he took in a sharp breath.

He knew.

"Aqua?"

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading!_**

**_I've been toying with this idea for a while and I was finally able to get all my thoughts together enough to make the first chapter. Again, this is a what if story and my bizarre depiction of what would have happened if Aqua would have taken Ven home after their reunion in Radiant Garden instead of going after Terra and just telling Ven to go home like she did in the game. It is my shameless way of making Terqua a thing while still attempting to stick to canon constraints and settings. I know it is probably a bit confusing right now but this it'll make more sense later!_**

**_Thanks again for reading! I appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed it!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape or form!

* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

* * *

"Aqua?" Terra's body went rigid when he saw the familiar head of luminous blue against his chest.

Why was she here? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Terra's mind automatically went back to the time they bumped into each other and she told him that Ven had run away from home and he started to panic.

Blinking rapidly, Aqua released his shirt and pulled herself away from the chest she had crashed into. She felt his hands holding onto her shoulders as he helped her detach herself from him.

"Hi, Terra." She timidly smiled up at him, hesitantly allowing herself to make eye contact with him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he held her out at arm's length. "What's happened?"

Aqua loathed how professional this was already. Apparently, she didn't even warrant a hello.

She stood upright, straightening her suddenly poor posture, regaining her balance, and brushing off her clothes as she slowly retrieved her senses.

"Oh, nothing has happened," she said coolly as her eyes wandered over his form.

Like Ventus, Terra had continued to grow while she had reached her physical pinnacle long before they had. However, Terra's growth wasn't as dramatic as Ven's considering she and Terra had done most of their growing already. Terra had mainly grown in width. The man before her had possibly gained a few inches but had _definitely_ become more muscular. Clearly, he had no trouble filling out the tight, black long sleeve shirt he was wearing. He looked more like a man than a teenager.

"Everything's fine," she continued but she used the word '_fine' _lightly. In reality, things were as fine as they could be, which wasn't very fine at all.

Terra released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and his hands slipped off her cool, bare shoulders.

He relaxed a bit. He was glad nothing was wrong but that still didn't explain why she was there.

"Good, but why are you here?" One of his dark brows drifted up his forehead.

"Well…you see…that's kind of a strange story…"

The Keyblade Master began to curse herself for not thinking this through. For some reason, she hadn't actually expected to find him so she hadn't planned on how she would explain this unexpected news to him.

"Alright. Let's hear it," he responded apathetically, folding his arms over his chest and attempting to brace himself for whatever it was she was about to say.

As he waited, his wielder instincts took over and he found himself scanning his opponent who happened to double as his old, dear friend. It finally started to sink in who was actually here, that_ she_ was actually here. It was Aqua in all her ethereal, graceful glory, but she looked tired,_ really_ tired.

Like him, she was in civilian clothing that suited her fully developed physique nicely. It had been a while since he'd laid eyes on her and she_ definitely_ had more curves than he remembered her having...

He shook his head when he noticed his mind was wandering around the gutter.

"We should probably talk about it somewhere…more private..." Aqua's eyes wandered around the glowing Second District. She didn't see anyone suspicious, but that didn't mean they weren't there and that they weren't listening.

"Oh…right," Terra replied before motioning for Aqua to follow him.

Silently, they journeyed back into the hotel and entered the green room where Terra had taken residence.

Upon entering the room, Aqua noticed it was quaint and cozy, but a bit messy.

"Uh, sorry the room's kind of a mess. I, um, wasn't expecting company." Terra walked across his quarters to the bed.

He couldn't help but be reminded of all the times Aqua had busted into his room, complained about it being messy, then proceeded to help him clean it before the Master saw. Her room, of course, was always spotless.

"No, no, it's fine." She held her hands up and shook them defensively. "I wasn't expecting on _being _company until this morning."

Terra gallantly gestured for Aqua to take a seat at the nearby table and she humbly accepted.

The room grew unpleasantly quiet and he began scratching the back of his neck as he paced back and forth in the same spot by the bed until he almost worked grooves into the carpet.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Want some water?" Terra began rambling. This was kind of awkward although he was still pretty sure they probably knew each other better than anyone.

"S-sure?" Aqua responded in a hushed tone and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

While Terra moved to a small refrigerator in the corner of the hotel room, she noticed the empty bottles of empty Panaceas and Hi-Potions lying on the table and around his bed. Instantly, she began to wonder what he did that required him to have so many in his room or what ailment plagued him outside the battlefield.

"Why do you have so many Panaceas?" Aqua couldn't keep herself from asking as Terra clinked bottles and items around in the tiny refrigerator in search of a bottle of water.

"I get really bad headaches. Panaceas and Hi-Potions are the only things that kind of help," he replied vacantly and curtly as he coarsely handed the bottle of water to her.

Saying he had headaches was an understatement. Saying that he had screaming neuralgic episodes would be a much more accurate depiction of his ailment. Terra would get headaches to the point of nausea and even vomiting on his really bad days. The headaches would blur his vision and sometimes, he would even get blind spots. To make matters worse, he was sensitive to light and sound, and the physical activity and exertion that came with being a Keyblade wielder only made the insufferable pain worse. Not only were the headaches excruciating, they inhibited his daily activities. He was lucky if they only lasted for a few days…but he had experienced episodes that lasted for weeks. However, Aqua was in luck, she chose to visit on a day that his brain wasn't violently imploding inside his skull every five seconds.

"Oh." She dropped the subject, trying not to be the protective, overbearing girl she used to be although she was concerned.

To keep herself from saying too much or something she might regret, she opened the bottle and took a few sips.

"So." Terra smiled a bit. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Master Aqua?"

That title stung coming from his lips. She could almost hear the resentment in it, and it hurt because she knew it was intended to be there. That was just how he saw her now. That was what time, the Mark of Mastery Exam, and Xehanort had done to their friendship and their once healthy rivalry.

"Master Yen Sid and Master Eraqus sent me here to summon you back to the Land of Departure." Her tone was way more professional and flat than she intended it to be, but it was easier to make this professional. It wouldn't hurt as much if it was professional and maybe that air of professionalism would keep the tension, confrontation, and conflict away.

"Was it an order or a request?"

"Both?" She shrugged and played around with the top of her water bottle. "They were very vague."

"You mean they didn't tell you?" Terra looked surprised.

"No, they just told me that it was important news regarding us and that they wanted me to come get you so they could tell us together."

"Still following the Master's orders, I see." He scoffed a bit before crossing his arms and leaning against the nearest wall.

"Well…yes," Aqua replied innocently although she knew very well what he was referring to. "But…it's not the kind of order that you're thinking… You don't _have_ to come back. The choice is yours. I wasn't ordered to bring you back with me."

"Were you ordered to the first time?"

"N-No." Aqua laced her fingers in her lap and looked away. "He called it a _request_…"

"See my point?"

"I do…but you don't understand. This isn't like last time and even then you misunderstood what we were trying to do."

"No. I understood. You didn't trust me. You didn't think I could handle the darkness in me." He walked to his bed and clumsily collapsed onto its surface.

"No! That's not it!" Aqua dropped the water bottle, leapt from her chair, and knelt down in front of him. "I would never— I was only…"

Aqua had gone through this scenario at least a thousand times in her head. She couldn't count the number of times she had envisioned the moment where they were reunited and she could finally explain herself and apologize, but now that it was finally here, she was stumbling all over herself. She couldn't find the right words to save her life.

"No," he interrupted but didn't look directly at her. "You were right to distrust me. You both were. I said I wouldn't fail again, but I did. My careless, naïve actions were leading us straight into oblivion."

"No…Terra…we pushed you to it…" Aqua held her head down. "We just… I just… I'm sorry…"

Bitter silence consumed the room. This wasn't how Aqua wanted things to go. She wasn't sure what she wanted but she knew she didn't want this.

It was just too much. They had probably confronted that issue a bit too quickly and now things were awkward.

"When are they expecting you back?" he asked lowly.

"They didn't say." Aqua got back to her feet and wandered around the room. "They just told me ask you to return with me."

Honestly, Terra didn't feel like he was ready to go back. He hadn't set foot on that sacred ground since his decent into darkness, after his countless failures, and he had made a vow to himself that he wouldn't return until he redeemed himself. He had to change the Master's mind. He had to do what he had set out to do years ago; stop the Unversed and find Master Xehanort, only then would he truly feel worthy of returning home and facing his Master…his home…his friends…his family.

However, this news had complicated things. Running into _her_ had complicated things. Avoiding coming home was one thing but denying a request from, not one Master, but_ two_ was another. Plus, they said it was important and Aqua had come all this way…

"Then...I guess we should get going."

Aqua froze and glanced over her shoulder at him. "You're actually coming?"

Terra shrugged. "I don't really have much of a choice. I still want to redeem myself and prove to Master Eraqus that I'm worthy of being a Keyblade Master and if I'm going to do that, I probably need to be responsible and respond when summoned. I wouldn't be a very good Master if I didn't appear when summoned, now would I?"

Aqua smiled. "Ven will be so happy. He has really missed you. We all have."

He had missed them too, but he just couldn't go back. He had failed to many times. He had steeped his heart in darkness for too long. He needed to be alone. He needed to figure himself out, get himself together, get his darkness under control and he just didn't think he could do that there. There was too much light, too many confusing emotions, and too much pressure. It would just make his darkness spread.

"I suppose I should head back and tell them that you're coming," Aqua announced as she walked toward the door.

"Right." Terra gave a nod and stood to escort her out.

"Ven will have an aneurism if I take too long. He demanded that I hurry back." Aqua chuckled a bit.

"H-How is he?" the young man inquired, his voice low as he followed Aqua to the door.

Aqua's eyes fell to the floor. "He puts on a brave front. He is chipper and happy as always, but I think he is more troubled than he lets on."

Terra sighed and watched her silently. He had so much to say that he was actually at a loss for words.

"What me to escort you out of town?" He changed the subject instead.

The Keyblade Master desperately wanted to tell him _'yes'_, not because she needed him to, but because she just wanted to spend more time with him.

"No." She gave a small smile and shook her head. "I can go myself. Thank you though."

"No problem." Terra shrugged and almost smiled. Almost.

"So, I guess, I'll see you back at the Land of Departure?" Aqua inquired as if she was still trying to make sure this was real and that he was indeed coming home.

"Yeah. I'll be right behind you."

Sure, this wasn't a permanent visit. It wasn't going to last long but at least it would last for a little while and that was better than nothing. Maybe it would be enough to sustain her for another three years.

* * *

Setting foot on the soil of The Land of Departure felt odd. It had been so long since he had been there. It felt like another lifetime ago, but this world had not aged a day. It looked just the way it did in his memories. Everything was just as he though it would be when he returned, but he was hoping to feel more at peace on the inside when he finally came back.

_"Hey." _

Terra looked down and to his right to see Aqua standing close to his side, her eyes swimming with concern as she peered up at him affectionately. It felt like she understood what he was feeling inside although he hadn't uttered a word to her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…I'm just kind of…"

"You weren't ready," she finished for him.

"Honestly?" He chuckled dryly and shook his head. "No, I wasn't."

"We don't have to go in right now if you don't want to. You can take a minute to process everything and prepare if you need to," she said when she saw the uncertainty in his features and the tension in his body. "We could go up to the Summit."

"It's tempting but I think I've stalled enough. If I keep stalling, I might not ever go in."

"We'll go together." Her hand touched his shoulder and he exhaled harshly, some of the tension leaving his body and some of his nerves uncoiling at her light touch.

Taking in another deep breath, he finally decided to move his stubborn feet in the direction of the castle.

"Terra!" an almost familiar voice cried and was followed by a string of pants and rapid footsteps.

"Ven?" Terra turned and Aqua smiled.

A very excited, but winded Ventus sprinted down the Mountain Path and approached them.

"You're...home!" Ven exclaimed between breaths.

"You're tall." Terra chuckled and placed a hand on Ven's head before shaking his spiky, blonde hair. He couldn't help but notice it didn't take his hand _nearly_ as long to reach the top of his head as it used to.

Ven laughed and tried to wiggle his head out from under Terra's large palm.

"Hey! It hasn't been_ that_ long since you've seen me."

"True, but for some reason, I still expect you to be a short fifteen year old." Terra grinned and folded his arms over his chest.

Aqua giggled into her hand and Ven noticed that her smile actually reached her eyes and her laugh wasn't forced. He could hardly remember the last time he saw her show signs of genuine happiness.

"Have you two already been to see the Masters?" Ventus asked excitedly.

"No, Ven, not yet," Aqua replied.

"Well, come on! You don't need to keep them waiting!" Ventus cried and Terra instantly noticed the contrast between his two best friends. Ven, while well intentioned, hadn't notice his apprehension as Aqua had.

Terra's brow furrowed with confusion as Ven's words sank in and he cast his gaze back to Aqua. "Does he know what this is about?"

"I'm not sure but I think so." Aqua gave a shrug.

"Come on, you slowpokes!" Ven teased as he bolted toward the large fortress. "I know you two are old but I didn't think you were out of shape!"

Normally, this would be the part where Terra said something snarky in return, chased after Ventus, put him in his place, and earned bragging rights for a week, but his nerves and apprehension held him back. He just couldn't jump right back into this. He needed to adjust and he couldn't do that by chasing Ventus around the castle like a child like he used to. Terra wanted things to magically shift back to the way they once were too, but he had to be realistic. Too much had happened and it just wasn't possible…not yet anyway. He had to be mature. He had to show the Master that he had changed. He had to change the Master's mind about him and he couldn't do that if he succumbed to old habits the instant he returned. It would do nothing of the Master's image of him.

Pushing the musings away, Terra realized Aqua was still at his side. She had waited on him. Why she did, he wasn't sure. He hadn't been that nice to her since their reunion so why was she being so considerate and showing him so much compassion? He didn't deserve it.

"Ready?" she asked, a sweet smile on her face.

She was the first to take a few steps forward. She thought that maybe doing so would encourage him to do so as well.

Taking in yet another a deep breath, Terra followed her lead and wretched his boots from the earth beneath his reluctant feet. Ventus was already inside the castle but Aqua was only a few steps ahead of him as he ascended the stairs that led to the fortress that he had once called home.

Aqua could sense his unease as she walked with him. Terra was quiet and a bit withdrawn, which was very unlike him…well, the old him, the man she knew three years ago. Perhaps this Terra was different. Three years ago, she would have placed a hand on his arm and helped him up the stairwell but now she wasn't sure if such affection was welcome.

Since she decided touching him was too perilous, she merely walked with him instead. She wanted to let him know that she was there for him no matter what, she always had been and she always would be.

Terra's breathing hitched when Aqua opened the massive doors that led to the castle's entryway and ultimately the throne room. He knew who was inside waiting for him and he wasn't sure what all of this was about and that made him nervous. Terra wasn't crazy about the unknown and he didn't really care for surprises.

Although he was nervous, very uncertain, and downright opposed to this, Terra walked stoically and calmly through the foyer of gold, ivory, and radiant, multicolored stain glass. The walk to the thrones and to Master Eraqus seemed to take years but Aqua walking quietly next to him managed to take the edge off somehow.

The closer Terra got, the more he realized how Master Eraqus had aged. His black hair was grayer and his thin beard appeared to be dusted with salt. The Master's eyes were worn, outlined by a few more wrinkles, and tired but they still had their kind, gentle glow.

"Hello, Terra," Master Eraqus greeted and eagerly descended the steps to meet the boy he raised and regarded as a son.

Terra swallowed hard and stood erect at the foot of the dais with emotionless features.

"It is so good to see you after all this time," the Master said proudly and professionally before placing a gentle hand on Terra's shoulder.

The guilt that coiled in Terra's insides at that moment was almost unbearable. This man was practically his father but he had come so close to betraying him and turning on him because of hurt feelings and naivety. He was ready to take Xehanort as a Master instead because that man had convinced him that he was the only person who could ever understand him, the only person he could count on, and that he would never be a Master in Eraqus's eyes…

"It's good to see you too, Master," Terra managed to reply without having his voice betray him and reveal how bad he truly felt.

Eraqus beamed with pride at the sight of all three of his students standing before him again. It had been so long since he had seen them like this, but the pupils before him now were not the children that stood before him three years ago. These children were older and not really children at all anymore.

While Ventus was the most changed, that didn't mean Aqua and Terra was without change either. Terra had grown a bit in stature but Aqua had been left behind in height. Both Ventus and Terra were taller than she was now. Their faces and eyes were all aged and no longer held as much child-like quality as they once did.

Aqua was clearly a young woman now and Terra certainly was a man. The differences were subtle but Eraqus could see them plainly.

"It's good to see you as well, Master Yen Sid," Terra called to the second Master present who stood in front of one of the three thrones at the back of the dais.

"Terra," Yen Sid replied and bobbed his head in acknowledgement.

"Aqua, Ventus, thank you for joining us as well." Master Eraqus smiled.

"Yes, Master," replied Aqua and Ventus in unison as they stood at attention before him.

Master Eraqus nodded and returned to the center throne where he took a seat next to Yen Sid, preparing to get comfortable and speak with his students.

"So, I am sure you want to know why we have summoned you all here today," Eraqus began.

Aqua and Terra nodded while Ventus grinned.

"Aqua. Terra." Master Eraqus's eyes darted between his eldest pupils. "Do you know anything about Keychains?"

The blue-haired girl's brow furrowed and her eyes fell to the floor as she tried to remember the details of the lesson they had received about Keychains years ago. It had been so long ago that she couldn't recall much and she could tell by the look on Terra's face that he didn't remember much more than she did.

"It's…" Aqua began, her eyes rising to meet Eraqus's, "It's a special bond between Keyblade wielders or Masters. Correct?"

"I thought it was something between significant others…" Terra was far from confident in his answer.

"Both of you are essentially correct," the Master replied. "A Keychain can be either of those things. Each one is different and it varies depending on those who are bound by it."

"Destiny's way of holding keys together," Aqua rummaged through her memories aloud.

"That's right and they exist or come into being for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, they hold keys or Keyblade wielders and/or Masters together for the purpose of brining an end to conflict. Sometimes it is to bring each other peace of mind, to protect each other's hearts and spirits. Sometimes it is to protect each other from themselves, their own powers, the malevolent powers of others, or external forces."

The more Master Eraqus spoke, the more Terra began to remember this lesson from years ago. It seemed so insignificant at the time and trivial in the long run. These things were so rare and trite he hardly saw how it mattered or would matter. It seemed more like something fake or something out of a bogus fairy tale than something that would matter to Keyblade Masters. He thought that the first time he was informed of this rubbish and he thought it now. Especially since this was customarily a romantic concept, something that usually happened between individuals who were romantically involved with one another. In a way, a Keychain was another word for marriage between Keyblade bearers because, normally, wielders and Masters didn't get romantically involved with one another unless a Keychain existed between them.

"Not that this isn't interesting but what does this have to do with anything?" Terra couldn't help but feel that he had asked this before. He probably had.

"It has to do with you and Aqua, Terra," Master Eraqus responded softly and gently. He knew he would have to be blunt with Terra. It was and had always been the best way to get through to him.

Terra and Aqua's eyes dilated. Terra reeled and Aqua blanched but Ven smiled.

"What are you saying?" the eldest managed to rasp.

"Terra, you and Aqua are linked together by a Keychain," answered Eraqus confidently.

"Just us? What about Ven?" Aqua questioned respectfully.

"I have no doubt that you three are bound by some form of Keychain as well because of your extremely powerful friendship, but the one we are referring to currently, is the one between just you and Terra," Master Eraqus replied.

"What's the difference?" Terra challenged. "What makes you think there is more than one? Couldn't you be sensing something between_ all_ three of us?"

"At the moment, what's between the three of you is not as insistent or as demanding as what is between the two of you," Yen Sid answered without leaving his seat in the throne to Eraqus's left.

"How can you know that?" Terra tried not to scoff or be rude as Aqua closed her eyes and held her head down.

"You mean you do not feel the affinity you have for her?" the sorcerer questioned sincerely and placed his hands in his lap as he casually implied that _everyone_ could feel the invisible bond between them. He said it like it was painfully obvious to everyone but him.

Terra's eyes widened before they wandered to the silent girl beside him. "Well… Of course… Of course, I do but that doesn't mean anything."

Terra blushed.

"Are you asking for proof?" Yen Sid countered.

"I don't know… Maybe." Terra ran a hand down his flushed face. He was completely exasperated and over stimulated. This was all too much and it was all happening so fast. He was on information overload and it was making him act irrationally.

"Aqua," Yen Sid addressed the young woman at Terra's left. "Touch one of Terra's scars."

"Excuse me?" she squeaked, placing a hand over her heart.

"Find a scar on Terra's body. Any will do, and tell me how he got it."

"That won't prove anything… I could have been with him when he got them and I have probably caused half of them myself… I could just guess." She chuckled meekly and shook her head. She doubted it would convince Terra anyway. He was shutting down.

"In that case, Terra, show Aqua a scar or injury that you have obtained recently," Master Yen Sid instructed as he bobbed of his gray head in Aqua's direction.

The brown-haired wielder sighed and shook his head but relented. He held out his hand and pointed to a pink scrape on the palm of his right hand.

The wound looked relatively fresh and Aqua didn't recall giving it to him and Terra knew he had obtained it during their separation. It was perfect for this little _'test.'_

Reluctantly, Aqua reached out to touch the faded lesion with her middle and index fingers. She closed her eyes and instantly saw an image of Terra cutting his palm with the broken glass of a Panacea bottle.

"He cut himself on a broken Panacea bottle while cleaning his hotel room," Aqua stated matter-of-factly as she pulled her fingers away from his palm.

"Terra?" Master Yen Sid cast his cold gaze back to the other Keyblade bearer. "Is she correct?"

"Yes, but how does that prove anything? She's not only a Keyblade Master but also a mage. She could probably do that with anyone." Terra folded his arms.

Master Eraqus closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew Terra would struggle to accept this. Terra always found conflict with things he couldn't see or understand. Believing wasn't always enough for him. Terra liked things solid and concrete, like earth. He always struggled with the metaphysical. He was the total opposite of his counterpart, Aqua.

Eraqus opened his eyes to regard Aqua. She didn't look surprised or too concerned. She looked elegant and composed as always but he could tell that beneath that tranquil mask, she was probably a bit hurt by Terra's reaction to this. It was very possible that Aqua was feeling this as a form of rejection.

A Keychain, while not always romantic, was _always _an intimate bond on some level, especially between those who knew and cared for one another. If Aqua could feel the Keychain and its pull, then having her counterpart resist it would feel like him resisting her. Not to mention, that because Aqua and Terra were friends, she likely felt this on a personal level. Terra couldn't see what he was doing to her and ultimately himself by resisting this.

"Aqua," her Master called and she jumped, clearly lost in thought. "What do you think? Do you think you were able to see the wound's origin through your own powers? Or the powers of the Keychain?"

"I, um…well..." Aqua's blue stare fell to the floor again.

Honestly, Aqua wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't think she was able to do _anything_ like this before, but she was afraid that her attachment to Terra was clouding her judgment. Maybe a part of her just wanted to believe that this Keychain existed and that was making her jump to conclusions.

"Maybe I should try it on someone else?" she inquired and the Masters nodded.

"Ven?" She glanced to the boy to her right. "May I?"

"Of course." The blonde grinned and pointed to a scab on his neck underneath his jaw.

"Gross, Ventus…" Aqua chastised under her breath, causing both of them to giggle.

"Sorry," he chuckled again and she couldn't keep herself from tittering again too.

"S-Stop!" she laughed and tried to get both of them to still so she could touch him and focus. "Be still."

Once she managed to compose herself and_ almost_ compose Ven before they succumbed to a giggle fit in front of the Masters during an important briefing, she placed her index and middle fingers on his injury just as she had Terra's.

Aqua closed her eyes, but she saw nothing. She couldn't see the wounds origin and she couldn't inform anyone of how he got it. The connection wasn't the same. There was a connection but not like the one she felt when she touched Terra. Aqua knew for a fact that she loved Ven every bit as much as she loved Terra, but the link just wasn't the same. She loved them equally but in different ways…and apparently, this alleged _bond_ knew that.

After, casting a quick Cure on the nick on Ven's neck, she took a deep breath and removed her fingers from his skin. Looking back at the Masters, she shook her head.

Terra watched Aqua intently before shaking his head himself. "I don't understand. A Keychain between just the two of us means… It suggests we're...! And we aren't! Our relationship was never like that… I have never looked at her like that."

Everyone except for Terra saw the hurt that flashed across Aqua's face at his harsh, blunt words.

"Keychains can be platonic," Master Yen Sid clarified. "While there are romantic Keychains, ones that either lead to a romantic relationship or thrive off one that already exists, there are also obligational Keychains."

"Obligational?" Terra's brow furrowed.

"Mm." Master Yen Sid nodded. "It is the type of bond Master Eraqus and I believe you and Aqua share. It is one born out of necessity, likely born because of the unresolved conflict involving Master Xehanort._ If_ it is obligational, the Keychain will break once the conflict that spurred its creation is resolved."

"So instead of being like a full-blown arranged marriage, it's just a temporary one?"

Aqua and Ventus could hear the bitterness building in Terra's tone. He was taking all of this the wrong way and pushing them away. Again.

"That is one way to look at it, I suppose." Yen Sid stroked his beard. "But it binds you together for a reason. All Keychains exist for a reason. Some have romantic origins or purposes while others do not. Like Eraqus stated previously, each one varies depending on those who are bound by it but all of them have a purpose. You and Aqua's friendship will likely affect the type of Keychain you have, but I must not make assumptions. I cannot confirm what type you two have. I'm sorry."

"What if I don't think Keychains are real?" Terra stated flatly. "What if I choose not to believe it?"

Ven cringed and Aqua winced.

"Then you will suffer in ways you cannot imagine. You will reap the consequences if you ignore it and the task it wants you to confront together. The Keychain is now a part of you and thus you and Aqua are a part of each other. She is your counterpart. You are coupled whether you want to be or not," the sorcerer countered calmly.

"It's kind of…convenient, isn't it? That it's Aqua? The same person who was sent to spy on me three years ago, to bring me back if I succumbed to the darkness, and keep me from being led astray? I guess she has been promoted from spy to full-blown babysitter now? Spying wasn't enough…now she has to be with me at all times to keep me out of trouble, is that it?" Terra's eyes rose to meet Eraqus's.

Terra felt ganged up on. It wasn't just Aqua and Master Eraqus who didn't trust him and his judgment, but Master Yen Sid and Ven as well. After all this time, they still didn't trust him or think he was capable of keeping the darkness in him in check. They still looked at him like he was a loose cannon, a liability and that was why they were throwing this bond, this…_Keychain _on him.

"No, Terra. This is not a repeat of the past. This is something completely different. Despite what you may think, fate has decided this union, not us," Eraqus insisted, trying to reassure him but Terra's resolve refused to crumble. "But I _do _see why it exists. Keychains are a form of dual guardianship. You're partners and equals. That is how Keychains work. One is not greater than the other. Both keys are used to reach the same goal, a goal, a responsibility, or a mission that cannot be reached with just one key. It requires you both. Individuals linked by Keychains share the same complimentary, compatible goals and sometimes even life goals. Their natures are in sync. Sometimes it is even safe for them to confront each other's darkness. They can go into these dark corners that would normally be to perilous for them to confront alone and address it safely and light can spread through them both."

Aqua knew the Master was trying to help but she knew that last statement would push Terra over the edge. It was a poor choice of words on her Master's part and she couldn't fight the grimace that smothered her face.

"I get it." Terra held his head down and turned on his heel to leave. He'd heard enough. He understood what was going on here. Even if this was destiny or fate or whatever, he didn't like how even_ it_ seemed to deem him unworthy of doing anything on his own, even it thought Aqua needed to babysit him.

"Terra..." Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder.

He froze. He was tempted to pull away but for some reason he just couldn't. It was too comforting. Maybe… Maybe the Masters were right. Maybe they were bound together by a Keychain, by some predestined bond, by some ancient Keyblade magic…or maybe he was just responding to the comfort that only one of his dearest friends could provide.

"Terra, I know this was probably the last thing you wanted or wanted to hear but I avoided informing you two of this as long as I could. I couldn't ignore the signs anymore and as a Master…as _your_ Master I had to do what destiny demanded I do," Master Eraqus almost pleaded and rose from his throne.

"I understand…but I don't want it. I don't want this. I don't need nor do I want a Keychain," Terra said softly, his voice barely over a whisper as Aqua's eyes darted back and forth between him and a very perturbed Eraqus. She could tell that he knew they were losing him again. He knew just like she and Ven knew.

"Unfortunately, Terra, it doesn't matter what you want. It is in destiny's hands," Master Yen Sid stated ambiguously.

Terra slid Aqua's hand off his shoulder and exited the throne room, and as much as it hurt her to do so, Aqua let him go.

"Terra!" Ven called, chasing Terra out of the sanctuary.

"Ven…" Aqua breathed and took a step towards him but she couldn't bring herself to run after him.

"You have been awfully quiet through all this, Aqua." Yen Sid's voice managed to break through Aqua's spiraling thoughts.

"Mm." She bobbed her head and turned to face the Masters again.

"Do_ you_ have any questions?"

"Just… What are we supposed to do now? What am I supposed to do with this information…?"

"I'm sorry, Aqua, but we don't know the answer to that either. Keychains are very rare and we don't know much about them ourselves even though our predecessors believed and trusted in these bonds and presented them as facts for centuries." Master Eraqus descended the steps to address her directly. "But I can tell you that it exists for a reason, but only you and Terra can discover what that reason or purpose is. Make no mistake that this link is destiny's way of telling you and Terra that you should either be together or be working together. Do you believe that? Terra has stated how he feels about all this but you have not stated how you feel."

"I believe you, Master. I am not numb to its strain nor am I deaf to its calls. I feel it…but I don't understand it… It's just an urge or need to be with him…I can't explain it." Aqua placed a hand over her heart.

"There is no shame in not understanding it." Eraqus smiled. "Perhaps acknowledging it will be enough and maybe understanding will come afterwards."

"Terra will come around, Aqua. He feels this as well whether he wishes to acknowledge that or not. If you two are linked as we think you are, he will return. If for whatever reason you are meant to be together, you will be together. Fate will see to it." Yen Sid smiled warmly at her.

Aqua nodded. "I mean no disrespect, but I would like to be alone now… May I please be excused?"

Master Eraqus bowed his head. "Of course."

* * *

After leaving the castle, Aqua fled to the Summit to think. She sat on the lush grass that grew by the tiny pond that ran through the Summit's expanse. Being by water always seemed to calm her down.

Her baby blue eyes blankly stared at the still lily pads while the shimmering water beneath them slowly flowed down stream.

The sun was setting, giving the whole world a warm, orange glow that reflected on the water's surging surface.

Aqua didn't know where Terra and Ven were. She thought she might find them here but she was relieved to find they had gone somewhere else. She just wasn't ready to talk about what had just happened yet. Honestly, she wasn't ready to talk much at all. She just wanted to be quiet and wrestle with her thoughts a bit.

A Keychain. It had been so long since she had even thought about them. The Master had only given them one lesson on them and she was sure she would never hear about them again. Aqua remembered finding them sweet and charming the first time she heard about them. A bond or union _specifically_ between two wielders or Masters, something so strong that it was predestined and couldn't be avoided or denied, fates way of protecting them by giving them sanctuary through one another.

Years ago, Aqua would have been ecstatic upon learning that she had obtained this type of bond with someone. It would have meant that she was important enough to receive one, strong enough to receive one, lucky enough… Fate deemed her worthy of receiving a Keychain. They were taught that it was something special and important, a great gift whether it be a romantic pairing or not…but why did it feel like a burden?

_"Well, that didn't go like I thought it would."_

Recognizing the voice instantly, Aqua smiled and looked over her shoulder to see Ven crossing the nearby bridge and making this way towards her.

"What did you think was going to happen?" she asked.

"I thought you two would be happy." Ven shrugged before collapsing onto the ground beside her. "I thought it would bring you two back together and I thought that it would bring us all together again…"

Hearing that broke Aqua's heart. More than anything, Ven wanted them to be a family again but apparently, not even something as strong and as omniscient a Keychain could give him that.

"So that's why you've been so excited," Aqua mused, looking back at her blonde friend.

"Mm hmm." Ven nodded and began using Aero to whirl the lily pads around on the water's surface. "The Masters told me about it the other day. I was hoping that things could go back to how they used to be and maybe the Keychain was what would finally bring Terra back to us. That it would make him stay…you know, to be with you…"

Solemnly, Aqua solemnly watched spell make the lily pads dance along the water like water nymphs as his words crept into her ear canal.

"Isn't that what Keychains do? Don't they hold people together? You two are supposed to work together now? Right?"

"Normally, yes, but I think Terra and I are an exception," said Aqua, her eyes not leaving the tranquility of the water or the dancing Aero spells.

"Because he said he didn't want it?"

Aqua shrugged.

"What happens when one of the people linked to the Keychain deny it?"

She gave a second shrug. "Master Yen Sid said they would suffer or reap the consequences."

"Do you deny it, Aqua?"

"It doesn't matter if I do or not. I am only one key along the chain. The bond won't work if he isn't on the chain with me. That's the whole point. A Keychain isn't a Keychain unless there is more than one key attached to it," Aqua tried to explain something she hardly understood herself and she felt like she was failing miserably.

The mage expected another series of questions but Ventus was suddenly mute. Just as she was about to ask him what was wrong, she realized they were no longer alone.

"Can you give us a minute, Ven?" Terra's deep voice sounded behind her and she winced. "I-I think Aqua and I need to be alone for a second…"

Aqua could see Ven's expression change from one of pessimism to one of hope. She could tell he was thinking that maybe Terra had changed his mind and that he wanted to work with her or be with her…or whatever they were supposed to do, but Aqua knew Terra and she could tell by his tone that he was coming to sever what was left of this brittle filament between them that the Masters dared to called a Keychain.

"Yeah. Of course!" Ven chirped and jumped to his feet. "I'll wait for you two back at the castle."

"We'll catch up with you in a minute." Terra forged a smile that fell the instant Ven turned his back to them.

Once Ven's footsteps faded into silence, Terra plopped onto the ground beside Aqua and caused ripples to form along the water's glossy surface.

They didn't speak for a long time but Aqua could feel him staring at her as she denied him eye contact.

"I'm sorry it's me." She sighed and turned her head further away from him.

"What?" Terra reeled, blinking rapidly.

"I'm sorry you are linked to me. I'm sorry it's me and not someone else."

Aqua knew he didn't want it to be her. He probably wanted a Keychain, all wielders and Masters do, but he probably wanted it to be with someone he loved. That was ideal. The dream. Who wouldn't want an intimate, predestined bond with a fellow wielder or Master? With their significant other? That was her instant thought when she was taught about Keychains, that they were between lovers or a husband and wife…_not_ between strained friends.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't hoped for a Keychain between them at some point when they were teenagers…before Ven came along and it was just them. Aqua's demented, girly, teenage mind went to that dangerous place and secretly hoped that one day they would fall in love and it would turn out that, that love was so powerful that it was born from a Keychain or would maybe forge one, like they were always meant to be together, like it was written in the stars before they ever laid eyes on each other.

"I know I'm probably the last person you wanted this with."

"Why would you think that?" Terra whispered.

"Because it's true," she tried not to snap. She saw how he reacted in there and she knew _he_ hadn't forgotten. Why _wouldn't_ she think that after the way he acted in front of the Masters?

"It's not that… I just—"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Terra." Aqua shook her head dejectedly.

Half of him was relieved that she said that because it meant they didn't have to talk about his confusing feelings anymore but the other half of him felt bad and felt that he needed to explain himself to her. She deserved an explanation, right? She deserved to know that she wasn't the last person he wanted this with, right? Then why couldn't he find the nerve to tell her that?

Instead of giving her peace of mind, he just sat there twiddling his fingers like a jerk, a big, dumb jerk. He just couldn't find the words he wanted to say to her. He felt like they needed to talk about this, what it meant and what they were supposed to do now but…

"You just wouldn't understand…" he mumbled and he wasn't sure if he was mumbling to himself or to her.

"Wouldn't understand? Terra, what wouldn't I understand?" Her tone was angry but her voice was beseeching as she sternly glanced over her shoulder at him.

Aqua's sudden outburst took him off guard and he recoiled a bit. He had a feeling they weren't just talking about Keychains anymore.

"That this is about my darkness, my failures, and my dishonor. This isn't about us or destiny or…_Keychains_. It's about keeping me in line and my darkness in check. That's what you wouldn't understand. You wouldn't even be able to comprehend it…"

"Who would understand?_ Xehanort_?" Aqua spat_ his_ name like bile.

"Maybe…"

"Why do you always assume we won't understand you? Terra, we've known you for years! Understood you for years, but the instant the Master confronted you about your darkness and the instant that _monster_ started putting these absurd notions in your head, suddenly, we don't understand you anymore?"

"I didn't say you don't understand _me._ You know me better than anyone but you don't know darkness, my darkness. None of you know darkness…but he did."

"I would have tried if you would have just given me the chance. You just assumed I wouldn't. Your demons are my demons, Terra. We were a team. What affects one of us, affects all of us… Your darkness may not have been in _my_ heart but—"

"I just needed someone to tell me that I was fine the way I was!" he bellowed before he could stop it. "I didn't want to be condemned or spied on or lectured because I wasn't as radiant as you or Ven. Master Xehanort was the only person who didn't do that. He didn't make me feel like a failure…"

"Are you forgetting who that man was? Didn't you read those reports?!"

"I did. You know I did and I know he is a monster. I know he was planning on doing and did do horrible things but honestly, he was the only person who I thought would understand that part of me, the only person who could help me understand that part of myself when it was still so foreign to me. The only one I could still count on… The Master wouldn't_ help_ me with darkness, he would only tell me to dispose of it but it runs to deep in me for it to ever be disposed of… It was too late for that… It_ is_ too late for that."

"Terra…I wanted to understand that part of you…I did, I _do_… I wanted to help then and I still do but…I can't help feeling like you wouldn't take my help. I think you would misunderstand it for condemnation or criticism. And who knows, maybe it would be. Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't know how to properly confront that part of you."

Aqua knew his darkness would always form a barrier between them and that maybe Xehanort could understand him in a way that they never could. There was some truth to what Terra said and that hurt.

Yes, Xehanort was using Terra and manipulating him but he was able to do so because he _understood_ that dark, vulnerable part of him. The part of himself that he was so ashamed of that he hid it from them the instant it manifested during the Mark of Mastery Exam. The dark part of his heart she could never reach because she was too bright to venture into it. She supposed in a way, she was jealous of Xehanort and his ability to cajole Terra's darkness.

"I want you to know that…I'm sorry for not trusting you and for doubting you when you needed me on your side. And I'm sorry that I don't know how to help you control your darkness. I guess…I'm just sorry that none of us can be everything that you need and that our harsh _methods _just made the shadows in your heart larger… I didn't understand what I was doing to you then but I do now and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you." Terra smirked. "But you don't really have anything to apologize for. You were just doing what the Master always taught us to do. He never taught us how to contain or master darkness. It just… It just wasn't supposed to exist and if it did, we were supposed to reprimand it and extinguish it."

"If I could have helped you through that…if I had known how to do so properly…you know that I would have… You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

It grew quiet again, painfully so. Aqua didn't know what else to say. She had never felt so detached from him, so far away from him and she just knew that wherever Xehanort was, he was reveling in it.

Their conversation had reminded her of how blind she'd been to his needs, to his distant, subconscious, subtle cries for help and how even if she had heard them, she would have had no way to help him. She would only make it worse. She had proven that multiple times. She couldn't give him the advice or knowledge he needed to save him from himself. There would always be that disconnect between them, but light and darkness were connected, right? They coexisted. One couldn't exist without the other but that didn't mean that they could fully understand each other either.

"You know, you don't have to stay just because of what they said. You aren't_ required_ to be with me." She decided to shift back to the matter at hand. She didn't really want to dwell on the past anymore even though it did still seem like a major part of her present.

Again, Terra found himself at a loss for words. He knew what she said was true but he couldn't stop himself from feeling like he _needed _to be with her, that it was what he was supposed to do. Wasn't that what the Masters were driving at? Wasn't that what Keychains demanded?

"Are… Are you sure?" he asked with vast amounts of uncertainty.

"I'm sure. Why should you stay for something you don't believe in?"

Aqua offered him a weak smile, a smile that made him sad because they weren't the vibrant heart warming smiles he knew her to exude, but he grinned in return anyway.

Terra nodded then the Summit was filled with more of that unbearable silence that seemed to be following them everywhere.

Before he knew what he was doing, he offered her his hand.

For the first time since he sat down next to her, Aqua completely turned her head to fully regard him and the strange offering.

His palm was face up while the back of his hand rested on his knee in silent invitation.

Not knowing what else to do, Aqua placed her hand in his and his fingers instantly curled up and secured her hand within his. He was warm, but he felt good. It made the dull stinging in her chest more bearable.

Was he apologizing? If he was, what was he apologizing for? Was he apologizing for the things he had done in the past? For leaving her? For denying this part of their lives? For refusing her and their Keychain? But he didn't want it nor did he believe in it, so why would he apologize for anything? It was just a myth or a legend made up by their predecessors to him; nothing but a bunch of Keyblade hocus pocus…like her…

Her slender fingers wrapped around his hand in return and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You should talk to Ven before you go. He had his heart set on this working out. He wanted this to bring the three of us back together, for good. He was hoping this would make you stay with us."

"Oh, right." Terra snapped out of the trance their contact had put him in. "I'll be sure to explain it to him."

In reality, Terra had no idea how he would even begin to explain something he hardly understood himself to his younger friend, but he supposed he would cross that bridge when he got to it.

"I'll talk to the Masters for you. All I ask of you is that you talk to Ven," Aqua requested passively as she looked up into his dark eyes. She was grateful they were still midnight blue and not that foreboding hue of gold from her nightmares.

Terra's heart faltered and his breathing hitched when their eyes mated. How she already knew he didn't want to confront the Masters again would forever be beyond him. How she always managed to know what he wanted before he did was a mystery.

"Okay, thanks," he replied, ripping his eyes away from hers.

Terra rose to his feet and let go of Aqua's hand. Slowly, their hands slipped apart and her fingertips trickled down his long fingers. She wanted to remember how his skin felt. She wanted to engrave it into her memory so she wouldn't forget how he felt or how it felt to touch him. She wanted to count every wrinkle on his hands, every scar, every single crease and callous before he abandoned her again.

"I guess I better go. My business is done here. I'll come back if I hear anything from Master Xehanort or if I get any clues." Terra brushed the grass off his pants. "You or Ven may want to check the Keyblade Graveyard every now and then. Master Xehanort frequented that location and I never like to go too long without revisiting it."

Aqua nodded and Terra knelt down to rest a hand on her shoulder. His arm draped over her and he rubbed her shoulder to offer her some form of solace or comfort. He rested his cheek on her blue head and felt her soft hair tickling his cheek and teasing his lips.

The Keyblade Master closed her eyes tightly as if it would keep the tears from falling down her cheeks. She didn't feel like she had to cry but she just knew her eyes would betray her and display to the world how this was killing her inside.

She could feel him resting his head against hers, his hand roughly rubbing her shoulder, but she didn't move. She _couldn't_ move. If she did, she would cling to him to keep him from leaving them again, but she couldn't be selfish. If you love someone, you let them go, and Aqua loved Terra.

"Goodbye, Terra," she whispered and if she didn't know any better, she would have sworn she felt him press his lips against her hair. However, she did know better and she knew that she was just imaging it.

Time marched in place as Terra tried to work up the nerve to detach himself from her. It had never been this hard for him to let go of _anyone_ before. He needed to leave. He knew that. He didn't belong here anymore but he couldn't keep himself from feeling like he wasn't ready to leave yet or maybe he just wasn't ready to leave_ her_ yet. Maybe... Maybe there was something to this Keychain bologna after all?

No. No, there couldn't be.

"Bye, Aqua."

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading! And thanks to all of you who reviewed/favorited/followed this story and motivated me to write this chapter and continue this story! This chapter was for you and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape, or form!

* * *

**_Chapter 3_**

* * *

On his way down to the castle, Terra had decided he was one of the worst human beings alive. Not only was he leaving the girl who was supposedly attached to the same Keychain as he was, he was leaving the boy – well, well young man now – who wanted nothing more than to have his friends back. Not to mention he was abandoning whatever responsibility and obligation he had to this alleged _'Keychain' _and his Masters. But he couldn't stay. They just didn't understand…

As Ven's form slowly came into view, Terra could already see the disappointment in his posture as he sat upon the castle steps. He probably already knew what he was about to tell him.

"How did it go with Aqua?" Ventus had a small smile on his face as he rose to his feet and approached him.

Terra shrugged. "It went."

Vague and indifferent. Terra was sure that was the strategy and art he would master _way_ before he mastered the Keyblade.

"Is she upset?" Ven inquired and Terra could tell from the way Ven asked the question that they had grown more attached to each other in his absence and that hurt. It hurt. A lot.

"I-I'm not sure…"

_I tried not to notice…_

"Oh." Ven held his head down and looked away. "So, you're going away again?"

"Yeah. I have to. I can't stay here."

"Why not?"

And there was the question Terra was trying to avoid like plague.

He cursed under his breath.

Terra almost wanted to use the old excuse of _'you are too young to understand'_ but he was pretty sure he couldn't use that excuse on an eighteen year old as easily as he had a fifteen year old.

Terra released a sigh. "I just don't belong here anymore and I have to leave now or I won't be able to leave at all. It's not that I _want_ to leave…it's more like I_ have_ to."

"Because of Xehanort?"

"Well, partly. I just… I still have a lot that I have to deal with and I can't do that here."

"You can't do it here or you_ won't_ do it here?" Ven chuckled a bit.

Terra smirked. "Honestly? A bit of both."

"Want me to come with you? You probably get tired of being alone," Ventus offered despite knowing Terra would refuse the instant the question left his lips.

"I really appreciate the offer, Ven, but I don't think the Master and Aqua would be too happy if you ran off with me."

Ven nodded and folded his arms, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he listened to Terra's vindication.

"And honestly, I would feel better knowing you are here with them. It's best that you stay here with them. They need you." Terra placed a sturdy hand on Ventus's shoulder.

"They need you too. You know that, right?" Ven argued politely but more feverishly than he would have three years ago. Terra's best friend wasn't fifteen anymore.

"No one needs me," Terra grumbled under his breath.

The blonde Keyblade bearer started to argue that that wasn't true, but he knew Terra wouldn't believe him even if he did. Terra was convinced that he wasn't anything good or helpful anymore and it didn't matter what he said to him. Terra's resolve was made of steel.

"Okay. You win. I disagree, but you win… What about the Keychain?" Ventus also wanted to ask him what about Aqua but at this point, he figured, they were one in the same.

"What about it?"

"I don't know." Ven scratched the back of his neck. "Aren't you two…I don't know, supposed to be together now or something?"

"If this thing exists, and I'm not convinced it does, it has existed for a while. We've been apart for three years and nothing has changed and nothing has happened. We aren't required to be together. Aqua said so herself," Terra replied sternly and Ven wasn't sure who he was trying to convince: him or himself.

"But…what if something _does_ happen. Just because something hasn't happened_ yet_ doesn't mean that it won't. The Masters said that it existed for a reason which means that—"

"Aqua is starting to rub off on you. You're worrying too much." Terra, true to old habits, roughly rustled Ven's flaxen hair.

Ventus grimaced and fought off the playful assault, causing both of them to laugh and break into a brief wrestling match that resulted in Ven being locked into a chokehold.

'_When I really need you Ven, I know you'll be there,' _Terra had said to him another lifetime ago and Ven wouldn't let him down. When Terra really needed him, he _would_ be there.

"Stay here and hold down the fort," Terra said with a chuckle as he released his blonde head, putting an end to their roughhousing.

"Of course!" Ven straightened his posture and stood arrogantly before his fellow wielder.

"And…" Terra's tone turned serious and his features hardened "…take care of her…"

Ventus's eyes widened. He was a bit taken back by Terra's sudden change in demeanor but he nodded nonetheless.

Ven had a bad, gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. The last time they stood in front of the castle steps together was right before Terra left the first time, before Xehanort went missing, before all hell broke loose. He hoped things would be different this time.

* * *

After Terra left, Aqua and Ven retreated to the serenity of the Summit. They sparred for a while and once they finished, they couldn't find it in their hearts to leave. Instead, they chose to lie on the ground and stare at the sky until the sun set in the horizon and stars coated the endless sky.

"What did you tell the Masters?" Ven glanced over at Aqua. His words were the first spoken since Terra left.

"The truth, that Terra didn't feel like he could stay here and that he didn't really want any part of this, that he went back to do what he set out to do, what he has done for the past three years," Aqua replied softly as her eyes tried to count each and every star shimmering in the dark blue sky.

"How did they take it?" Ven asked, shifting his arms behind his head to make a more appropriate pillow.

"Fine, I suppose. They didn't seem too surprised." She gave one of her shoulders a shrug.

Ventus sighed. "Why did you tell him he could go?"

Aqua winced.

"I didn't really tell him he could_ go_… I just said that he didn't have to stay…"

"But why?"

"Because," she answered, her tone exasperated. "I didn't want him to stay because he felt that he had to. I wanted him to stay because he wanted to…"

"He would have stayed if you asked. He suggested that you had given him permission to—"

"I know," she interrupted.

Silence.

"Look," – she shifted onto her side and looked down at him – "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that… I just… I just didn't want him to feel obligated. Even though Yen Sid basically said this was _'obligational'_, I still didn't want to coerce him into anything, obligational Keychain or not. It just wasn't what I wanted. It_ isn't_ what I want and I know it isn't what he wants either."

Ven decided that Aqua was almost as stubborn as Terra, if not more so.

"You know, I still don't know what he meant when he said that the stars were just like me," he mused aloud, attempting to lighten the mood. "He said I was too young to know then and I always thought once I was old enough, I'd understand, but I still don't."

Aqua smiled at the memory of their last night together. "You can ask him when he comes back, when all of this is over…"

"Do you think we will ever find…_them_?"

"Yes. They have unfinished business with...us." Aqua didn't want to say '_you.'_ "I use to think they would find others to torment in our place since we didn't really work out but then I remember that…he has to have you."

"Unless he made another Ventus and Vanitas," Ven said darkly.

Aqua tensed and sat up briskly, her eyes not leaving Ventus. "Do you think he would do that?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. I don't remember much from before I was brought here, but I _do _remember he was a relentless Master and we all know what he was planning on doing three years ago. Not to mention what the Master told us. He said Xehanort was always like that. That he could never let things go." Ven stared blankly at the sky, his eyes distant and unfocused.

Aqua hated when he talked like that. It was so unlike him and it reminded her how all of this impacted him. She wasn't the only one haunted by memories and nightmares. Ven was haunted too. They all had their own personal demons.

"Have you remembered anything else?" Aqua asked timidly, resisting the urge to coddle him. He wasn't a child anymore and she continually had to remind herself of that even though, to her, Ven would _always_ be the sweet, innocent boy Xehanort brought to them.

"Mostly training sessions with him. Lots of yelling and condemning." Ventus sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

Instinctively, Aqua pulled him into a hug.

Oh, how she wished that he'd never had to go through that. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that would feel like. Aqua had nightmares but that was all they were, nightmares. Ven's nightmares were _real_. They were his memories and most of them were far from pleasant. Sometimes they came to him in the form of dreams or nightmares, and sometimes the simplest things like certain words, phrases, or movements triggered them. Once, Aqua said the word 'feckless' and it sent him into a fit. She_ never_ uttered that vile word again.

"Whoa!" he chuckled as Aqua embraced him. "Not that I mind, but what's the occasion?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered into this neck.

"For?" asked Ven with another laugh.

"For everything. That you had to go through that and just… For everything."

"Why?" Ven patted her back. "It's not your fault."

"I know but I still hate it and I want to take it all away. I want all of it to go away…" Aqua squeezed him tighter, searching for comfort and solace against him while attempting to offer it to him at the same time.

Ven was at a loss for words, which was odd. He usually had a response for _everything,_ but at that moment, he couldn't think of anything that wasn't clichéd or anything that he hadn't already told her a thousand times over. So to keep himself from saying something that would sound forced or trite, he wound his arms around her waist and continued to return her embrace. Besides, Aqua hugs were always welcome and always made everything a little bit better.

Aqua gave an empty laugh as she pulled away and placed a lock of blue behind her ear. "Terra was right. I really am a girl sometimes."

Ven grinned. "Well, you are a girl so I guess we can forgive you for acting like one from time to time. Just don't make a habit of it!"

"I'll try not to." Aqua flashed a small smile.

"So, I was thinking I would go to the Keyblade Graveyard to look for Xehanort," she said as she regained her normal air and demeanor. "Terra recommended that we do so. Do you want to come with me?"

"Normally, I would but I don't think I should. You know, since Yen Sid and Eraqus think that the Keyblade Graveyard might be the only place the χ-blade can be forged. Not to mention I ran into Vanitas the last time I was there…"

"Right. You don't have to say anything else. I understand. I should've known better than to ask. I'll go alone."

"You sure? I bet Mickey would be happy to go with you," the young man suggested as he leaned back onto his elbows.

"No. That's not necessary. I can take care of myself and I hate to bother him. He has a lot to deal with anyway. You know, being a King and all."

Ven nodded. "So when will you go?"

"As soon as possible. The sooner we find Xehanort, the sooner we can put an end to all of this."

* * *

Terra hadn't been back in his normal routine long, but his head was already exploding. He'd had a chronic headache since he left The Land of Departure and it had done nothing but worsen as time passed.

The Keyblade bearer had tried to search for clues to Xehanort's whereabouts in Radiant Garden but all he could do was walk around in a daze and attempt to not get sick in one of the fountains.

He could hardly function for the headache, much less search for clues. Even if he did manage to find a clue, he wouldn't be able to do anything with it. His brain was too busy ruthlessly smashing against his skull to concentrate on anything.

A trip to another world had also been on his mental to do list for that day, but all he could do was surrender to the severe neuralgia and gracelessly stumble back to Traverse Town. Hopefully, he could make it back to his hotel room, get in bed, and sleep off the migraine he was experiencing. He would just have to make up for lost time the next day because he_ clearly_ wasn't capable of functioning at present.

Everything around him was blurry. No matter how much he blinked or tried to focus, everything around him was hazy: the dim street lights, the pedestrians, the towering buildings, the glowing doors that led to the hotel, the front desk, _everything_.

Unable to take another step, Terra collapsed against the nearest wall of the hotel's suddenly crooked hallway.

The whirling wallpaper appeared to be throbbing and drawing ragged breaths with him as he pressed his aching forehead to the walling.

Terra didn't fall or tumble to the ground, but he did use the wall for some much needed support. He didn't have the strength to continue his perilous journey to his room without it.

He ghosted along the wall like a blind man, using his hands to see where he was going as well as the numbers and emblems on the room doors.

When he finally crashed into the familiarity of his door, he fondled the handle until the door gave, causing him to violently plummet to the floor with a grunt.

It was getting worse. How on earth a headache as monstrous as the one pestering him now could possibly get worse was beyond him. He thought the only way the perpetual headache could get worse was if his head blew clean off his shoulders.

He was wrong.

Terra crawled along the floor and managed to get his entire body into the hotel room before ultimately getting sick on the floor.

Was he dying? Maybe he had a brain tumor. What if he had been blowing off something terminal?

If he was capable of hearing the tiny voice in his head, it would have suggested that the headache could be some of that unimaginable suffering Master Yen Sid had warned him of; suffering caused by him neglecting fate's call, the Keychain, and ultimately, Aqua.

Whatever the cause, he supposed it didn't really matter now because it seemed like whatever it was had finally caught up with him and could possibly take his life soon.

Death wasn't a new concept to Terra, but he certainly didn't think that this was how he would go. He always thought he would go down in some epic battle or die sacrificing himself for his friends, something epic and grand. He _never _thought he would die in a hotel room face down in his own sick...

When the pain subsided and he realized he_ wasn't_ about to die, Terra managed to get back to his feet. He wandered to his medicine cabinet and grabbed an armful of Hi-Potions and Panaceas, spilling a few and dropping a few more on the floor as he stumbled back to the center his living quarters. Clumsily, he scattered the remaining medications that weren't in shattered pieces on the floor out along his table.

Terra collapsed into a nearby chair and stared blankly at his stash. At this point, he wondered if it would even work. Maybe he needed professional help. Did he need to go to an infirmary, a clinic, or an asylum? He wasn't sure what he needed to do but before he did anything, he would have to get some relief and the only way he knew how to do that was by downing as many Hi-Potions and Panaceas as he could.

He wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and proceeded to slowly drink a Hi-Potion. It didn't do much but he could feel a difference—at least he didn't feel like he had one foot in his grave anymore.

Reclining into his chair, he rubbed his disgruntled temples as if he could rub his ailment away.

After chugging a few more mixtures, Terra felt like he could finally trust his legs again and decided he should probably clean his vomit and all the broken bottles of medicine off the floor.

Unhurriedly, he rose to his feet, walked towards his cabinet, and snatched a few towels out of it. After carelessly tossing those same towels to the floor, he began picking up all the broken glass and discarding it in a nearby trashcan. Once the visible glass was gone, he got onto all fours and began attempting to scrub his floor clean. He wasn't trying to make it spotless, he just wanted it to be somewhat presentable. He just wanted the majority of the mess gone. The maid could take care of the rest.

Cleaning his floor made him miss Aqua. A few years ago, he would have just gone after her and gotten her to help him, and she would have done so gladly with a warm smile on her face.

She was always helping him clean up his messes. She was better at cleaning messes while it seemed like all he could do was make them.

With a heavy sigh, Terra leaned back on his haunches to inspect the state of his floor. It wasn't spotless but it would do.

Deciding that was enough cleaning for the moment, he tossed the dirty towels onto a heap of dirty equally clothes by his door and hobbled back to his feet. Now all he wanted to do was sleep off what remained of his headache. He would worry about the mess later. Rest was now his priority.

Terra shifted on his feet and turned to walk to his bed, but before he could reach his destination, it felt as if someone had stabbed him through the back of his skull with a scalding hot poker.

The Keyblade bearer wailed, holding his tormented head in his hands as he mercilessly fell to his knees.

His suddenly muddled vision was filled with flashes of images as he held his eyes tightly shut and waited for the assault to cease.

But it didn't. Pictures of the Keyblade Graveyard rapidly flickered behind his eyes. He saw blinding blinks of golden eyes, baby blue eyes, corroded Keyblades, bloody sand, and Unversed. Voices and noises invaded his ears until his hands moved from head to his ears to drown out the miserable sounds. The twitchy, shrill cry of the Unversed clawed at his eardrums while voices fought for dominance within his ear canals.

_'Come out, you freak!'_

'_Want to know something else I've outgrown? You!'_

_'The legend says that if one of the keys along the Keychain dies, the remaining key will die too.'_

'_I've…I've done it…he's…he's finally finished…Ven…Terra, you can rest easy…'_

"Aqua…?" Terra mumbled, grabbing fistfuls of his hair.

He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and it was so loud he hardly noticed that there was a second heartbeat in his ears. It was softer, fainter and it was slowing down rapidly.

His vision was then filled with a warm, familiar blue: blue hair, blue eyes, blue clothes, and finally, a blue Wayfinder stained with blood.

The second heartbeat stopped.

"_Aqua!"_ Terra leapt to his feet and bolted out the door.

* * *

Aqua had never been to the Keyblade Graveyard before. She had only visited it in her nightmares, and as she walked through this desolate world, she was glad she had never truly laid eyes on it before. It wasn't a pleasing sight to behold.

The Keyblade Graveyard was a barren wasteland, full of nothing but ghosts and dust, a place where nightmares were made.

The longer she was there, the more she wished Ven had come with her or that she had taken his advice and asked Mickey to investigate with her. This world did nothing but give her the creeps. It was quiet, way too quiet. The only sound to be heard was the abnormal, perpetual wailing of the harsh, otherworldly wind.

There was no life here, only death or remnants of death. There were no birds, no animals, no flora, and no people. The vast emptiness and arid atmosphere left her feeling hollow and idle. The dead ambiance of this world was harrowingly contagious.

As she started out at the endless fields of dead keys, she could almost hear their cries calling out to her from the lamented earth they slept within. They begged for an unreachable peace that she couldn't give them.

There were so many of them. It was hard to imagine a time when there had been so many Keyblade bearers around when they were all but extinct now. The only ones she knew outside of her small family were Yen Sid, Mickey, Vanitas, and Xehanort.

Aqua knelt down in front of three Keyblades that appeared to be connected at their apexes as they delved into the splintered terrain. She couldn't help but be curious about those who once wielded the Keyblades before her. They were wielders and masters just like she and her friends were. Had they fought side by side or had they fought against one another? Did they know about Keychains? Were they a part of one? Who were they before the Keyblade War ripped them apart?

Anyone who would lust for the rebirth of that war couldn't be anything less than a monster...

"I'm sorry." Aqua ran her fingertips down the worn hilt of the ancient Keyblade. "I can't undo the past, but I won't let this happen again. This tragedy will not be repeated. I promise."

With a sigh, Aqua rose to her feet and took her Wayfinder in her hand as she scanned the desolate area around her. She didn't even know where to start looking for Xehanort and Vanitas. This world was huge and there were places to hide _everywhere_.

_This might take a while…_

Aqua really hoped that if they were there, she could sense their darkness. She could sense them before but it had been so long she was afraid she might not sense it as she once had. Then again, it would be hard to forget darkness that ghastly.

* * *

The Land of Departure was always quiet when Aqua was gone. Ven liked it better when she was there and it wasn't just him and the Master wandering the grounds. If Aqua was there, he was rarely alone for long periods of time and being alone for a long time was something he always wanted to avoid if at all possible.

When Ventus was alone, he had a tendency to remember things and sometimes even hear things. Before either could occur, he considered going to Radiant Garden to visit Lea and Isa, but he wanted to wait for Aqua and make sure that she returned safely. He needed to be where the Master could let him know immediately if something happened and she needed him. Her safety and wellbeing was much more important than any unpleasant memory he might experience. The painful reminiscence, while unpleasant, would end but he would never forgive himself if something happened to Aqua because he wasn't there for her when she needed him.

Aqua was an excellent Master. She was very talented and more than capable of taking care of herself, but he couldn't help but worry about her. She'd never gone to the Keyblade Graveyard before.

With a heavy sigh, Ven fell onto his bed and folded his arms behind his head. Maybe he could take a nap. That would probably keep the memories at bay and would keep him from getting stir crazy and ridiculously bored.

"**_Ventus… Ventus…" _**

The gruff, raspy voice bounced off the walls of his skull the instant his eyes closed, sending shivers down his spine. The blood drained from his face and his heart felt like it was being pulled down into the soles of his feet as his eyes ripped open.

"No. No. Not now! _Get out of my head_!" Ven cried in desperation, covering his ears as if it would keep him from hearing the eerily familiar voice that reverberated inside his cranium.

Ventus knew very well whom the voice belonged to. This wasn't the first time his brain had been violated by his dark twin, but this was the first time it happened without Aqua being around and he didn't know where the Master was. He would never find a sanctuary in time…

"**_Fine… I just thought you would want to know that we've decided to get rid of Aqua. She was such a pain last time and she really has done nothing but get in the way… So we're taking care of her. You don't have to worry about your little mother bossing you around anymore_**."

"Shut up!"

"**_Better hurry, Ventus, or you'll never see Aqua again."_**

He recognized the haunting words easily. It was the same exact thing _he_ said to him three years ago, but instead of using Terra as bait, he was using Aqua. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought this was a memory in and of itself, but he _did_ know better. He knew that this _wasn't_ a memory and it _wasn't_ a joke.

Ven didn't answer the contemptible voice inside his head. Instead, he grabbed the Wayfinder in his pocket, leapt off his bed, and ran out of his room.

* * *

It felt like Aqua had been running around this ghastly world for days. Time seemed to have no consequence here and everything seemed to look the same. The only difference she could see was that some craters were larger than others and some mountains were higher than others.

Her eyes burned from all the dust and dirt being blown through the contaminated air. She felt disgusting from the layers of dirt and sweat clinging to her skin and she was growing tired. She would have to call it a day soon. There was only so much aimless wandering a person could take. If she had to, she would come back the next day, but only if she and Master Eraqus thought it necessary. Unless she had to, Aqua didn't plan on revisiting this nightmarish place anytime soon.

Just as Aqua was about to adorn her body in armor and mount her glider, she heard a familiar shriek. At first, she thought she was merely imagining it, but it wasn't long before she sensed it as well.

_Unversed._

Her whole body went rigid and her breath snagged in her throat as she slowly turned to confront the monsters she knew were behind her.

There were dozens of them, mainly Floods, Bruisers, and Scrappers, but there were some savage breeds she had never laid eyes on before. Some were big, some were small, but_ all of them_ were hostile.

Rainfell was summoned into Aqua's hand and she took an offensive stance as she watched them continually pop and claw their way out of the lifeless earth.

Having no preference, she began striking down the ones nearest her first. She vanquished one after another, but they continued to reproduce. One would fall only to be replaced by two more. They weren't being slain fast enough for her to effectively decrease their numbers.

As she fought the ceaseless hoard, she recalled what Yen Sid had informed them of. Terra told him that Xehanort said that Vanitas controlled the Unversed, which meant…

"Come out, you freak!" Aqua shouted, wrenching her Keyblade out of another Unversed.

"_You know, that's not a very nice way to greet someone_."

Aqua's blue eyes darted around the area until she saw the masked boy, Vanitas, lazily walking through his swarm of Unversed towards her. They cowered around his feet as he heedlessly glided over their forms. It was like he was walking on air. He was bone-chillingly graceful and poised but somehow fierce within his long, powerful strides.

The haze of the dirt-filled wind around them made him look even more like an unsettled apparition, an unnerving ghost from the past. It was as if he walked right out of her memories or slithered out of her nightmares.

He had finally crossed the blurred line between her imagination and the real world and busted through the barriers that contained him strictly within her mind and waltzed right into the present, into a cruel reality.

"I was always under the impression that you were the polite, rational one. I guess I was wrong," Vanitas scoffed.

He was bigger, which didn't bode well for her. He wasn't a pushover when he was fifteen, she didn't want to know what he was capable of now. Physically, Vanitas was a mirror image of Ven, which meant he had grown ever bit as much as he had.

"This is the part where you make some snarky, arrogant remark. Remember?" He folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "Or are you too busy gawking at me to come up with one?"

Aqua's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, strictly business now, are we?" he inquired mischievously.

"I've outgrown the games. I no longer see the point in tossing needless quip back and forth."

"I can tell but, damn, time has _not_ been good to you. You look like hell. You actually look a little tired. You should try sleeping. It's good for you."

Aqua held her tongue. She refused to be goaded into a frenzy. That was what he wanted. He wanted to get under her skin, get her all worked up so she would get sloppy.

"Oh, that's right." Vanitas chuckled darkly. "You've _'outgrown the games.'_ That's fine. I've outgrown a lot of things too."

He summoned his menacing Keyblade, and she took a step back. "We all have. After all, it_ has_ been three years."

Aqua's eyes didn't leave his form as he began taking confident yet ominous steps toward her.

"Want to know something_ I've_ outgrown?" he asked when he was arms length away from her.

The Keyblade Master dug her feet into the ground and prepared for the struggle she knew was about to occur.

"_You!"_ Vanitas charged at her.

Grunts erupted from their throats as their Keyblades clashed and ground against one another.

It wasn't until they were a breath apart that she realized how much bigger he was than her. Vanitas loomed over her and attempted to overpower her by using pure strength. His new fighting style almost reminded her of Terra's. Vanitas didn't use to fight this way, but he was assuming that because he was bigger than her now, he could overpower her.

He was wrong.

Aqua knew how to handle larger, stronger opponents. Terra had practically been her sparing partner her entire life. She was accustomed to battling larger opponents that favored strength and she knew for a fact it took a lot more than sheer strength to defeat an adversary.

Vanitas underestimated her. Big mistake.

She quickly backed away and gracefully shifted to the side, causing Vanitas to lose his balance and stumble forward. The movement was swift and precise but he recovered instantly and countered.

Vanitas had gained height and girth but had clearly (and unfortunately) not lost any of his impressive speed. He struck again and again and again and all Aqua could do was dodge and block. She was lucky that no one was more nimble than she was and no one (except Ven) was faster. However, he was strictly offensive which made her strictly defensive. If this pattern continued, she would never defeat him.

Aqua was forced to use barriers and magics in order to fight him. Being a mage would prove useful since she couldn't get close enough to him to land effective physical blows with her Keyblade.

It was like a dance, a sick, twisted, never-ending dance, one she had almost forgotten all the steps to. Her neglect and carelessness would cost her dearly. She wasn't used to opponents like Vanitas anymore. She would admit it.

"Our little_ vacation_ has made you weak!" Vanitas taunted as they continued exchanging blows. "Peace has made you soft! You aren't nearly as tough as you used to be. I shutter to think of how pathetic Ventus must be."

Aqua responded with a Mega Flare to his stomach, damaging him and the hoard of Unversed that loomed around them.

He reeled and groaned in pain but didn't fall. "Uh-oh! Someone doesn't like it when I talk about their sweet, little Ventus!"

Again, she didn't respond with words. She was done talking. She would let Triple Blizzaga tell him how much she didn't like it.

Vanitas blocked two of the icy blasts but took the third to through his shoulder.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think that _Ventus _was the one you share a Keychain with," he sneered, rolling his damaged shoulder and lunged at her yet again.

Aqua recoiled emotionally and physically as his words and the hilt of his Keyblade ruthlessly struck her in the stomach. All the breath in her body made a violent retreat as she absorbed the intense blow. She bowed over in pain, trying to cough and gasp for air at the same time.

As she continued to recoil from the impact, Vanitas began shooting wave upon wave of darkness at her. The darkness clawed at her skin and threatened to rip her apart. It was thick, hot, and overwhelming. It burned her down to her very core. His darkness was so profuse and immense that she didn't even notice that the Unversed had been called forth again. The blows were occurring so quickly and the damage was so ravenous that she couldn't even tell what was hurting her anymore.

The Keyblade Master held her damaged abdomen as she cautiously backed away from Vanitas and his onslaught. When she finally broke out of the barrage of darkness and Unversed, she eyed him intently yet cynically.

"That's right. We know that you and Terra are bound together by a Keychain," he continued as he and his Unversed closed in on her.

If she could breath properly, she would have asked him how they knew, but then she remembered in one of the reports, Xehanort stated that sometimes, Vanitas could feel actually what Ventus felt.

Continuing to gasp for breath, Aqua back away from Vanitas until she reached the cliff's ledge. Her foot slipped off the edge and she whimpered as she struggled to regain her balance.

"It's…_sweet," _he spat. "But completely worthless. That shoddy link won't do either of you any good. I mean, look at what it's done to you? Isn't that thing supposed to protect you? _Obviously,_ it doesn't work."

Her eyes narrowed and she gripped Rainfell's hilt so tightly her knuckles turned white. Regaining her footing, she charged Vanitas again.

"Hey! Let's have a little experiment!" he jeered even though she had gained the upper hand and he was taking remorseless blows from Rainfell.

_Nothing fazes him...!_

"The legend says that if one of the keys along the Keychain dies, the remaining key will die too," Vanitas continued mocking her and Aqua knew if he weren't wearing his helmet, she would see a wolfish grin and flared fangs.

He slung his Keyblade at her relentlessly as his Unversed nipped at her heels. In one swift motion, Aqua cast Glacier to put some distance between herself and her attackers but once the spell dispersed, a scrapped, frost-kissed Vanitas was right on top of her.

The morbid Keyblade fell toward her quickly and Aqua was able to summon a Barrier, but the attack was so strong the Barrier spell dispersed like glass, sending Aqua, Vanitas, and countless Unversed reeling. The sheer force of the hit and the explosion forced her onto her back.

As quickly as she could, she rolled onto all fours and leapt behind a nearby stone pillar to dodge his next attack.

"Or was it that they go completely crazy if their counterpart dies?" His Keyblade stabbed into the rocky column just as it wanted to stab through her. Aqua winced at the unpleasant sound of metal brutally grinding into stone.

"I'm not sure which, but that's what our little experiment is for!" He laughed manically, wrenching his Keyblade out of the pillar she had used as a shield. "Too bad you won't be around to see the result, but when we take care of Eraqus, I'll be sure to tell him to tell you what happened to your precious Terra after you died."

His laughter and mockery came to an abrupt halt as Rainfell harpooned him to the towering boulder.

"That won't be necessary," Aqua said emotionlessly and yanked Rainfell's tip out from between his dark shoulder blades. "By the way, I'm not still hiding behind the rock."

The instant Rainfell left his back he spun around coarsely and sliced his Keyblade right through her abdomen.

Aqua wailed and stumbled backwards a few steps before crouching down onto one knee, her Wayfinder falling out of her pocket as she sank to the ground. Instinctively, her hands went to her damaged torso and she felt the warm liquid leaking from her body and caressing the cool skin of her hands. The diagonal wound across her abdomen was deep. She could feel that long before she began trying to heal herself with Curaga.

Vanitas chortled darkly one more time before collapsing onto his back where he grew disturbingly still. The instant their master stilled, the Unversed dispersed and became the dust that savagely swirled around the tainted world.

Once Aqua was sure that Vanitas and his Unversed were indeed defeated, all her strength left her and she plummeted face first to the unforgiving ground.

"I've…I've done it…" she breathed, weakly raising her head to ensure Vanitas had not risen. "He's… He's finally finished…"

Her head lobbed over and fell back onto the rugged terrain. Holding her desecrated stomach with one hand, she frantically attempted to mend it with Curaga.

"Ven…Terra…you can rest easy." She smiled and closed her eyes.

It was getting dark and it was getting cold. She was going into shock and her restorative spells alone weren't enough for this wound. She couldn't stop the bleeding and she was very tired, but that was okay. If she died, she died in order to protect her friends. She wouldn't die in vain.

Ven and Terra would take care of Xehanort. Now that Vanitas was gone, the χ-blade was no longer a possibility. All they had to do now was put an end to Xehanort and his scheming. They could do it then they would go on to become the amazing Masters that she always knew they could be. They would be heroes and they would live happy lives.

Vanitas was wrong. Terra wouldn't die if she did… He wouldn't go crazy without her… She was sure of it. Everything would be fine now…

_Everything will be fine now…_

Her blood stained the golden ground beneath her, mingling with the hardened ground and pouring into the cracks of the uneven terrain as her crimson vital fluid turned maroon against the sand.

With lifeless eyes, she watched the red liquid slowly seep from her body as she casted Curaga upon herself over and over again until her nerves were scraped raw.

Eventually, the pain from the wound in her stomach and the pain of over casting was too much. She hadn't the strength to cast anymore. The wound was finally mending, but she'd lost too much vital fluid and conjuring would only weaken her further and push her to the end faster. At this point, she was doing more harm than good.

Aqua's eyes opened to see that her Wayfinder had been hurled from her pocket during the struggle. It was just out of her reach but she wanted it. She needed it. She needed to say she was sorry.

She crawled on her belly like wounded serpent, leaving a winding trail of vermillion in her wake until she was close enough to touch it.

With the last of her strength, she reached out and took the Wayfinder in her trembling hand.

_I'm sorry…Terra…Ven…_

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the delayed chapter! _**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts! I own nothing!

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

Terra was positive his glider had_ never_ moved slower. It was moving as if it were flying through unbearably thick jelly. At this point, he was debating on whether or not continuing on foot would actually be more beneficial. He was starting to feel as if_ he_ could move faster than this glider! However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was the urgency of the situation that was causing him to move so slowly. He could be moving at light speed but it_ still_ wouldn't be fast enough for him.

He really hoped he was wrong. He_ really_ hoped that his gut was mistaken and that Aqua was fine, that nothing bad had happened to her. Why would he be right? He had never been right about this kind of thing before, not that he had ever _had_ a vision before.

His dark blue eyes scanned the barren wasteland as they had millions of times before, but instead of searching for a bald man with menacing golden eyes, they searched for a girl with ethereal, blue features.

Terra_ really_ hoped he wouldn't find her. Finding her would mean his vision was correct and she was…

No, he couldn't bring himself to think about it. He didn't want to live in a world where she didn't exist. Even if he wasn't as close to her as he use to be, there was still a certain peace and comfort in knowing that she was alive and well _somewhere, _that somewhere out there she was smiling and laughing and helping others.

His chest ached. It was as if the mere thought of losing her caused him physical pain, but before he could dwell on the pain anymore, a distant flicker of blue beneath the swirling sandstorm caught his attention.

The ache in his chest turned into full-blown agony.

"No…"

The Keyblade glider nose-dived into the earth and Terra stumbled off the dispersing glider just before it violently crashed into the dry, cracked ground.

"Aqua?!" he cried and ran toward the mound of blue he saw in the distance, his armor dispersing as he sprinted.

It wasn't her. It couldn't be her. Aqua was indestructible. She was a Keyblade Master. She was the responsible one. Nothing could hurt her. Right?!

His heart was pounding ruthlessly inside his ears and his breathing was rough and uneven as it surged in and out of his tight throat.

The closer he got to the immobile form, the more he started thinking that something _could_ hurt her.

The blue blur began gaining details. It went from looking like a heap of rubble to looking like a person, particularly a girl, a girl he knew really well.

The sandstorm around him raged and he knew it was trying to hold him back, trying to keep him away from her. Instead of getting closer to her, he felt like he was being pushed and pulled farther and farther away.

A frustrated growl erupted from his throat as he forced his way through the twisting, turning mass of sand that seemed bent on inhibiting his movements. He was at war with this forsaken world but it wouldn't win. Nothing would keep him from her, from his friends, from those who meant the most to him.

"Aqua!" he choked, trying to heave the sand he'd inhaled out of his lungs.

Were she conscious, he knew she would have answered. Aqua didn't just ignore people, especially not him. She would have moved, she would have grunted, coughed, spoken, _something_!

When he finally got close to her, he realized she was lying face down in a pool of her own blood.

"Aqua!" He fell to his knees beside her, his kneecaps scraping against the rough terrain as he clumsily skidded to her side.

"Aqua…" he whispered and he barely recognized the sound of his own voice.

Terra gingerly took her in his arms and rolled her onto her back, her head lifelessly lobbing over to one side as she lied limp across his lap in an unnatural way that made his stomach lurch.

"Aqua, look at me," he pleaded softly before gently shaking her.

Aqua didn't budge. Her eyes were firmly closed and her body inanimate. She was losing blood, lots of it. Looking down, Terra realized that in the short amount of time he had been holding her, he'd gotten covered in her red vital fluid. It was already on his hands and on his clothes.

"Where's it coming from?" Terra shifted Aqua in his arms, trying to find the wound that had rendered her unconscious.

Most of blood was on her shirt around her abdomen. He supposed he could cast Curaga all over her but it wouldn't be as effective if he treated the injury directly. Considering how pale and how bad she looked, he couldn't afford to be ineffective.

"Aqua, wake up! Please!" He shook her once more, gently slapping her blanched cheeks. When she didn't wake, he decided it was time to act. He couldn't wait for her to come to anymore.

Hooking his fingers into the bottom of her shirt, he lifted it and exposed her bloody stomach. It was one nasty gash that slid in a perfectly vertical line across her belly. Whoever did this to her, swiped their weapon right through her. It was jagged but straight and much deeper than he'd hoped. She had almost been cut in half.

Instinctively, his hand flattened against her middle over the wound and he began pumping Curaga into her in waves. As he conjured, he could feel where she had tried to heal herself but ultimately failed. He could sense her radiant magic pulsating weakly against his hand like a little heartbeat. He could feel her desperation, her last attempts to save herself before she likely passed out from the strain.

The flesh began mending under his hand but he knew it wouldn't help with the blood loss.

Moving his hand away, he craned his neck to examine her injury. It was still present but it looked a few days old instead of a few hours old. However, Aqua still looked like she had just suffered a crippling injury. He could only hope that none of her vital organs had been permanently marred beyond repair.

He shifted her shirt back down and began casting Curaga over her other wounds that were scattered all over her body. As he did so, he started contemplating what he should do next. Should he take her back to The Land of Departure or should he take her back to Traverse Town with him?

Groaning, Aqua's eyes fluttered open but they were dull and faraway. Her head turned toward him and her vacant eyes narrowed at him as she tried to discern his features.

"T-Terra?" she choked before losing the battle with unconsciousness, her eyes closing and her head crashing into his chest.

With a heavy sigh, he decided it would be best if he took her back to Traverse Town with him. There wasn't anything Eraqus could do for her that he couldn't and going back to Traverse Town would keep him from receiving an '_I told you so' _from the Master. The Land of Departure was also farther away and she needed immediate attention.

Deciding that going back to Traverse Town would be the best thing for Aqua, he lifted her into his arms bridal style and prepared to mount his glider with her.

Upon tenderly lifting her off the ground, he heard a familiar clink resonating around his foot. Terra's brow furrowed and he shifted Aqua in his arms so he could peer down at the source of the noise.

Looking down, he saw a very familiar star-shaped object at his feet. For a moment, he though it was his own and his hand almost flocked to his pocket until he noticed the blue glimmering beneath the smudges of blood.

The Wayfinder he saw was Aqua's, the same Wayfinder from his vision, in the same exact position. It sent a chill up and down his spine but he decided to come back for it once Aqua was safely on his glider. She wouldn't be happy with him if he left it behind. After all, he knew he would be furious if someone left his behind.

* * *

Panting, Ventus scurried through the many districts within Traverse Town. He needed to find Terra. For some reason, he knew the solution to this problem was Terra. He believed in what the Masters had said even if Terra and Aqua didn't and if Aqua was in trouble, she needed Terra's help. He'd know what to do. He had to. He would find Terra then they would figure out what to do together.

His shoes clicked on the umber cobblestone and his ultramarine eyes reflected the many colors of the streetlights, lanterns, and signs that inhabited the buzzing city as he ran.

When Ven finally entered the hotel, he sprinted right to the door had the number two carved into it. He didn't bother with speaking to the innkeeper or even knocking. He didn't have the time. He could already be too late.

"Terra!" he called as he busted the room. "Terra! I need your help! Aqua is in trouble! Vanitas is-"

As he spoke, he realized he wasn't speaking to Terra. Terra wasn't who was waiting inside this room.

"Terra ain't here, kid." A man in a bright red scarf, black hair, an eye patch, and a sole tawny eye turned to face him. "You _just_ missed him."

Nearby, in the pale brown chair next to the mahogany table, sat an eerily familiar form. Blue eyes connected with eyes of cold, calculated yellow-orange. Instinctively, Ventus took an apprehensive step back.

"Hello, Ventus," croaked the rough, aged voice, his name rattling and cackling against the man's coarse vocal chords.

"Master Xehanort…"

* * *

It was hard for Terra to ignore the looks he was getting as he carried Aqua through the sleeping districts of Traverse Town. Luckily, there weren't too many people out and about, but he did cross paths with several pedestrians who looked at him like he was a serial killer. He might have to move after this if word got out that he was taking a bloody, unconscious girl back to his hotel room...

"We're almost there, Aqua," he whispered, cradling her closely in his arms and using his back to open the dual doors that led to the hotel.

Once in the hallway, he moved as swiftly and as quietly as he could. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. Not only was his behavior highly suspicious, it was risky. He could easily get in trouble and maybe - if someone questioned him enough - accidentally reveal that they were from another world. Breaking that crucial rule wasn't at the top of his list. He had enough failures on his conscience; he didn't want to make revealing that other worlds existed to the population something he would berate himself for later too. However, if that was what it took to save Aqua, then he would gladly and willingly bear it.

When he reached his door, he leaned into it and to his surprise, felt it give. He could have sworn he locked it on his way out.

Slowly and apprehensively, Terra entered his hotel room. He wasn't sure what he would do if someone were inside. They would be in even more trouble. He did know that much. Aqua was unconscious and clearly in no position to fight and holding her automatically made him a vulnerable and easy target. He just hoped that no one was in this room with them and that if someone had been there, that they were gone now. At that moment, helping Aqua was his first priority and everything else would have to wait as long as they weren't in immediate danger.

Terra walked to his bed with flaxen covers and gently laid Aqua on its surface. Once she was out of his arms, he glanced around the room and inspected every shadow and corner for intruders. Upon finding none, Terra decided that they were indeed alone and were safe for the time being, which meant he could safely take care of her and treat her injuries. He was still pretty sure someone other than the innkeeper or housemaid had been there. He could sense it but again, solving that mystery wasn't his priority at present.

Pushing the thoughts of intruders and potential attackers away, Terra shuffled around his apartment and acquired the items needed to take care of Aqua.

After successfully dressing Aqua's still mending wounds, Terra pulled up a chair next to her and patiently waited for her to wake up. As he dozed in and out of consciousness, his mind began to wander.

_Who did this to her? Whoever it was, they would have to be exceptional in order to catch Aqua off guard. It would have to be someone like Xehanort or Vanitas... _

Terra continued to mull everything over and chew on thoughts that did nothing but make him downright uneasy for what seemed like a short eternity, and the longer Aqua laid unconscious, the more he began berating himself for her condition.

This was all his fault. If he had just stayed with her instead of running off again… If he would have just listened to the Masters and acknowledged that he _was _linked to a Keychain with Aqua... The Keychain was trying to tell him that she needed him but he'd ignored it because he didn't want it. He was supposed to protect her but he didn't. He was stupid, selfish, and stubborn instead.

If she died, it would because he let her die. If she died, it would be as if he choked the life out of her himself. He was supposed to be there but he wasn't. If he had been, this wouldn't have happened. If she died, he would _never _forgive himself and he was pretty sure no one else would forgive him either.

He bowed over and rested his head on the quilted expanse by her side, his hand resting atop hers as he drifted in and out of sleep. He wanted to touch her. It gave him the reassurance that she was still there and her subtle warmth was encouraging. She wasn't as cold as she was when he found her. She wasn't as close to death as she had been before.

Occasionally, he would give her hand a squeeze, hoping that at some point she would squeeze back and come to.

Her nails were almost blue and so were her lips. Aqua was blue in general, but those were two places she didn't need to be blue. It only assured him that she was in hypovolemic shock. Her skin was clammy and unnaturally damp with sweat. Her pulse was weak but her heart rate was rapid.

Because of their line of work, they had been warned of hypovolemic shock since it was a frightening possibility. They had been trained on how to combat it by using Potions, Elixirs, and Panaceas to increase the heart's pumping abilities but it was hard to treat Aqua because he didn't know how much blood she'd lost. His only indication was the large pool she was lying in and the abundance of vital fluid that had seeped into her clothing.

Glancing at his own hands, he realized he was coated in her blood as well. It was caked up under and around his nails and smeared on his forearms and probably on several other places he couldn't see. He couldn't bring himself to care though. Being covered in blood was the least of his worries. He would clean up when he had less on his mind…

Peering back at the clock for the millionth time, Terra caught a glimpse of his door and was reminded that there was still the possibility that someone had broken in. It was probably just a regular burglar or maybe it was just the maid. Regardless of who it was, it was unlikely that Aqua's attack or attacker was linked to the intrusion—at least, that was what he tried to convince himself. However, the gnawing, foreboding feeling in his gut suggested otherwise.

_Oh, well. If_** they** _were here, they're gone now. I'll just put that on my long list of things to worry about later._

His mind was turbulent with many unpleasant thoughts but at least his head wasn't hurting. Abruptly, he realized his headache was gone. Completely. It had vanished the instant he left this very hotel room to go find Aqua, which suggested that it was Keychain related. That would explain why he had a perpetual headache for the past three years but didn't have one when she came to him a few days ago, while he was with her in The Land of Departure, and now. The strain was what caused them. That was the only answer. Yen Sid was right. Ignoring their bond did cause unbearable suffering.

This Keychain stuff was so bizarre. If just being away from her did that to him, what would happen if she died? Was what he heard in his vision accurate? Would he die or lose his mind if she died while their Keychain existed? He didn't know but he _did_ know that he didn't want to test the theory.

* * *

_Aqua yelped and crashed to her knees, her hand instinctively latching onto the wound Terra's Keyblade just created in her neck. It burned like Fire and stung like Blizzard but neither element had caused the laceration. No, the ruthless steel of Terra's Keyblade, Earthshaker, created this particular injury._

"_Aqua! I'm so sorry! Are you okay!?"_

_He was in front of her now, his words laced thick with panic. Her ten-year-old mind couldn't decide whether he was worried about her wellbeing or worried about the Master seeing what he'd just done to her._

_They knew this day was inevitable. Ever since his true Keyblade manifested and replaced the wooden one he'd made, she knew it was only a matter of time before it harmed her. Honestly, she was hoping she could clip him before he clipped her, but she wasn't really surprised he got her first. He did have the advantage. His Keyblade had finally materialized and hers hadn't yet, which had made sparring…_**difficult **_of late._

_Her porcelain hand was firmly fastened to her neck, right above her collarbone as she stared holes in the sleek, wooden flooring beneath her. At first, she held it out of reflex but she continued to hold it out of panic. Her hand was growing warmer by the second. The warmth was spreading and it was sticky..._

**Blood.**

_It seeped between her fingers and spilled onto the ground below her. One, two drops at first but the drops were quickly forming a tiny lopsided circle. The injury must have been worse than she thought. He must have hit a vein or artery in her neck._

_Aqua had been injured before. Pain and wounds were nothing new, but she had never been hurt like _**this**_. The floor was stained red and it paralyzed her with fear when she needed to be healing herself, but she couldn't stop staring. There was just so much of it…_

"_Aqua, let me see," Terra said softly but sternly._

_Her eyes didn't leave the crimson puddle on the ground and she was starting to feel the sticky substance soaking the collar of her shirt. She was shocked so much blood was coming out of her. _

_His hand covered hers and proceeded to gingerly pull it away from the lesion so he could examine it. She could imagine his painful grimace so she didn't look. She didn't want to know how bad it was…_

_Before she could dwell on the pain or fear anymore, his hand was replacing hers on her neck._

_She swallowed hard against his hand and it stung, like having a raw, sore throat and it startled her that something so simple hurt so much. She wasn't going to cry though. As much as it hurt and as scared as she was, she refused to cry._

_Terra's hand flattened against her neck and it was warm but suddenly turned icy hot. She swallowed again but it didn't hurt as much as it did before. That was when she realized he was healing her. Her eyes went wide and she finally lifted her face to regard him. He was staring intently at her injury, his expression a mixture of worry, concentration, and fear._

_The sensation of his Cure soothed the stinging and the burning until it barely hurt at all anymore._

_Timidly and slowly, he detached his hand from the site of injury to inspect it. She watched his hand pull away and noticed that it too was now coated with red fluid._

_Terra seized her chin before angling it up and away._

"_Does it hurt?"_

"_A little…" she managed to croak out. She was relieved to hear that her voice still sounded like her own._

"_Aqua… I am_** so** _sorry…" he apologized shakily, his eyes locked on hers._

"_What did you do?" called a familiar voice that caused Terra to wince and yank his hand away from her as if burned by her flesh. It seemed like Master Eraqus was asking her comrade that particular question more and more recently…_

_Aqua and Terra quickly looked at their Master before gazing back at each other._

_Master Eraqus blazed to Aqua's side, his eyes wandering over her frantically as he tried to see the source of the all blood he was seeing. It was on her neck, her hand, her shirt, the floor, and even on Terra's hands._

"_N-Nothing! I didn't… I didn't mean to… I-I…"_

"_Were you using Earthshaker?" Eraqus demanded, his eyes leaving Aqua momentarily to look at Terra sternly. _

_They both knew he wasn't supposed to use Earthshaker when sparring with her unless given permission. Until she obtained her weapon as well, they were to continue sparring with wooden weapons or to practice adjacently._

"_Y—"_

"_It's okay, Master," Aqua interrupted. "Terra healed me. See?" She forced a smile before pointing to where the wound once slept. She was still trembling but for Terra's sake, she really hoped the Master wouldn't notice._

_Eraqus's grey eyes narrowed and he inspected the mark on her neck. He pressed his fingers to the spot and she couldn't keep herself from grimacing._

"_Does it hurt?" he inquired flatly._

"_A little. It's just kind of…tender," she replied._

_The Master sighed and shook his head. "Come. Let's dress your wound and get you two cleaned up."_

_Master Eraqus began exiting the throne room and heading to the infirmary. Silently, Aqua and Terra exchanged knowing glances before following him out._

"_I'm really sorry… I never meant to hurt you. It was an accident…" Terra whispered as he walked closely at her side._

_Aqua smiled up at him, ignoring his pessimism. "You're a good healer."_

_Terra's face lit up and his posture straightened. "Really?"_

* * *

The room was spinning when she finally managed to crack her eyes open. Immediately, she closed them again to put an end to the ruthless churning. She would rather be blind than watch everything swarm around like that. She would just rely on her other senses instead.

A clock was ticking nearby and it suggested that she was in a room, which didn't make sense considering she was in the Keyblade Graveyard last time she checked—at least that was where she thought she was. Maybe she dreamt it all up.

There was a pressure on her hand. It was warm and familiar enough that she instinctively squeezed it to get a better impression of it. It was another hand and it was larger than hers, calloused yet soft…

Apprehensively, one of Aqua's eyes cracked open again. The room was merely teetering back and forth instead of spinning now and she felt like she could handle that. Her other eye opened and she was finally able to take in her surroundings a bit more.

Her vision was filled with blurry shades of yellow and green. The walls were yellow, the floor was yellow, and even the covers she was laying on were yellow, but the walling closer to the ceiling and the ticking clock she heard earlier was green. Not too far away was a round, brown table equipped with a pale brown chair.

Suddenly, everything was becoming very familiar: the mahogany furniture, the light fixture overhead, the clock, and even the table. She had been here before. This was Terra's hotel room in Traverse Town. It wasn't until then that she fully realized someone was sitting by the bed next to her.

By the mahogany bedside table that doubled as her blue Wayfinder's resting place, was the missing chair that had been by the table the last time she was here, only this time, someone was sitting in it. They had midnight blue eyes, tan skin, and their hardened features were framed by dark brown hair.

She would recognize that head of hair anywhere although it was a little bit longer and not as unruly as it used to be.

"Hey," he spoke softly after blinking the sleep in his eyes away. "How are you feeling?"

Her brow furrowed and she looked at him skeptically.

_Why is he asking me such a strange question? Wait…_

Her hands instinctively wandered to her tingling stomach and were met by the rugged texture of medical bindings instead of the torn cloth of her shirt she'd been expecting. Instantly, she remembered what had happened to her even if she was still a bit fuzzy on how she got in this room with Terra.

"Where is he?" She shot upright.

"Where's who?" he threw back before seizing her shoulders and trying to get her to lie back down.

"Vanitas," she stated matter-of-factly and seriously considered fighting his pushing. She would have were she not so dizzy.

Terra's pupil's dilated and his face paled. "_Vanitas?_ So he _was_ the one who did this to you. I was afraid of that..."

"Didn't you see him?" she asked, attempting to sit upright once more.

"Aqua," he said adamantly without releasing her shoulders. "Please, lay back down."

Their eyes met and she looked at him stubbornly for a long moment before eventually surrendering.

"Thank you," he said, exasperated. "And no" – he ran a hand down his face – "I didn't see him. You were the only thing I saw for miles."

Aqua grabbed fistfuls of her hair in vexation. "No…! He was there. I defeated him. I thought it was over…"

"I believe you, but he wasn't there when I found you."

Confused, Aqua released her hair and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "How did you know? How did you know I'd been hurt?"

Terra's brow furrowed and his face flushed a bit. "I just knew."

"Oh," she breathed. "Well…thank you."

Her hands gravitated to her middle again and she slowly began to recognize the sensation. It was the sensation she had dreamt about but instead of feeling it on her neck, it was on her stomach. He had healed her.

With the realization she had been healed, came the realization that he had also dressed her wounds. Her shirt had been removed and her whole upper body and torso was securely bound by medical bindings. Her chest hurt and she wasn't sure if it was due to the blood loss or the embarrassment that Terra had to dress her wounds in such a way… She knew it was standard procedure to wrap the whole torso after an injury like the one she'd experienced to reduce movement and accelerate recovery but that didn't make any of it less embarrassing.

As subtly as she could, she tried to find something to disappear under.

Yes, they were both adults now and their relationship was strictly platonic and she should be mature and professional about all this, but she couldn't keep herself from going rosy.

"H-How bad was it?" she rasped, trying not to choke on her embarrassment.

"It was a nasty cut. It took several treatments before it mended completely. Actually…I should check it again—"

"No!" she yelped and protectively covered her stomach. "I-I can do it."

Again, she knew he was right. Because of the healing, the magic, and their advanced recovery rate, things had to be checked more often, wounds had to be dressed more frequently…but again, that didn't make the current situation less awkward or humiliating. She would forever be grateful to him for aiding her, but she still felt that he had seen enough of her to last a lifetime even if he merely did what he had to.

"You have the strength to?" he challenged passively, his tone calm and polite.

_No, _she answered privately.

She was confused and dizzy and her chest hurt and she was anxious and in no condition to cast _anything_ but she didn't want him fiddling around her bare waistline any more.

"Not really," she replied honestly. "But it's okay. It can wait."

Terra shook his head and began reaching for the hem bindings anyway.

"Terra…don't…" she whimpered and fastened her hands over her stomach.

"Why not? Don't you want to get better?"

"Yes, but…"

Aqua realized she was being childish and normally, she was _very_ mature but this particular situation just had her ten different kinds of uncomfortable. This might not embarrass him, but it certainly embarrassed her. He might be okay or even..._experienced_ with seeing women in such a way but she wasn't used to being exposed to someone like that_ at all_, even if he was just checking her stomach this time. Not to mention, she was _still_ trying to come to terms with the fact that he had dressed and wrapped her entire upper body while she was unconscious.

"Just trust me," he groused before shifting her hands away.

_He makes it sound so_ easy… she mused.

Defeated, she fell to her back and covered her eyes with her arms and tried to think of_ anything_ but Terra unwrapping the bindings around her stomach and exposing her.

"Do… Do you remember when you cut my neck?" she asked, her voice trembling almost as much as her stomach was.

"When we were kids?"

"Mm."

"Of course I do. That was the first time I really hurt you," he stated bluntly and she could tell he was more absorbed in working on her injury than he was listening to her ramble about the past. However, she didn't miss the implications in his answer. He'd hinted that it was the first, but not the last time he hurt her. It was true but it still hurt to hear him say it.

His warm hands ghosted over her abdomen as he applied an Elixir to her shuddering skin and eventually the wrappings. She shivered and her face flinched as if she were being tortured. Actually, she would rather _be_ tortured- at least torture wasn't embarrassing.

"You healed me afterwards." Aqua swallowed so hard it hurt. "It barely even left a scar."

Terra chuckled dryly and she felt him gently running Curaga over her belly. "Yeah, but Master Eraqus was furious. I got a good, long lecture about self-control and abusing my strength after that one."

Aqua remembered. Master Eraqus frequently chided him on understanding his own strength after obtaining Earthshaker. Terra _always_ struggled with understanding his own strength, with his lust for power…

'_If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second. But, how can I, when you are so obsessed with power?'_

"I got one for provoking you and accepting the challenge. You didn't really pressure me into that fight," she recalled as she mercilessly stared holes in the ceiling. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fight with unfair odds. I wanted to prove I could beat you regardless. I-I always felt at a bit of a disadvantage…"

Terra scoffed. "Why?"

"You were older, stronger, and a boy. By general rule you already had the upper hand."

"Yeah. A lot of good all that did me," he said under his breath and she felt him winding the wrappings around her middle again.

"Stop doing that!" She shot up and glared at him. After sitting up, she realized she'd done so much too quickly and was suddenly whimpering and holding her sore abdomen.

Shocked by her outburst, Terra reeled a bit but helped her sit upright regardless. She could see that he was bracing himself for whatever she was going to say but couldn't bring himself to not help her either.

"Stop doing what?"

"The brooding and the feeling sorry for yourself and the acting like you are the worst person alive," she answered tersely when the pain subsided enough for her to speak. Yes, the tonics and the magic had helped a lot, but she was still _really _sore.

Terra sighed and merely nodded. "I'll stop if you'll lie down and rest."

"I can't. I have to go back to The Land of Departure. Ven and the Master will be worried and I have to tell them that I saw Vanitas…" she said with a grimace as she attempted to shift her way off the bed. "They need to know that he and Xehanort are on the move again. They'll be after Ven or they could already have him. He's in danger and—"

"Aqua," Terra scolded lowly and barricaded her way to the door with his body, causing her to weakly collapse into his form. "Ven is eighteen and perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I guarantee you he is in better condition than you are. So please, stop worrying so much and rest. We'll go back to The Land of Departure first thing in the morning. I promise."

"I'm _fine_," she objected politely and looked up at him with a zesty, animated smile and expression in an attempt to prove her point. However, judging by Terra's hard expression, he wasn't buying it. "Really. We can go back tonight."

"I know you're a Keyblade Master and you heal faster than most people, maybe even faster than me, but you _aren't_ immortal and you need to take a moment to recuperate," he argued, adamant, firmly seizing her arms as he did so.

Aqua's act fell and so did her smile. "You aren't going to let me leave until tomorrow, are you?"

"Nope," he replied arrogantly with a smirk as he released her arms and proceeded to fold them over his broad chest. "If you want out of this room, you're going to have to go through me."

Her lips curled into a playful sneer. "Is that a challenge?"

Terra looked like he might laugh, but he didn't of course. "I don't think it would be much of a challenge. Didn't we just talk about what happened the last time you provoked me when you were at a disadvantage?" He reached out and brushed the white mark on her neck with his thumb for emphasis.

His touch was like piping hot electricity. The sensation churned through her veins like Thunder but burned her skin like Fire before settling in her stomach in a cumbersome wad that sat heavy in her insides.

"Fine. You win, but we're leaving first thing in the morning!" she retorted, digging a finger in his chest as she spoke.

"Deal." Terra grinned as he slipped his hand off her neck and Aqua wrestled with the disappointment and emptiness she felt when his touch left her.

With a heavy sigh, she slowly lowered herself back onto the bed and realized how weak and dizzy she still was. Perhaps Terra knew her better than she thought he did. Perhaps she wasn't giving him enough credit.

Looking down, she realized her fingernails were blue. Hypovolemic Shock still had a pretty good grip on her and she was rapidly losing her battle with consciousness. She would have to surrender soon. Terra was right. She wasn't ready to make the trip back to The Land of Departure now that her adrenaline rush had left her.

"Where will you sleep?" She yawned and lied back down.

"Where I've been sleeping. In this chair." Terra collapsed into said chair he had positioned right by the bed.

"T-That's not good for your back," she mused, her eyes fluttering and growing as heavy as lead.

"I'll be all right. Don't worry about me."

Aqua shifted onto her side so she could face him. "You sure?"

"You worry too much."

"Thank you, Terra," she whispered, incoherent.

"You're welcome," he whispered in response just before she finally succumbed to sleep, a kind of peaceful sleep that had eluded her for three years.

* * *

"Master Eraqus?!" Aqua shouted as she entered the castle of ivory and gold. "Ven?!"

"Ventus?!" she called again and proceeded to sprint through the throne room, checking every nook and cranny for either the Master or her comrade.

"Take it easy," Terra chided lowly, earning him a quick glare from the Keyblade Master.

Terra had continued to chastise her although she had told him all morning that she felt much better. She wasn't nearly as sore or as stiff. Granted, she didn't feel like she could do anything strenuous like battling Vanitas again yet, but she still felt like Terra was overreacting. She was actually starting to think that her little incident with Vanitas had actually worried him.

"Ven!" she cried again.

"Aqua?" the Master's voice boomed throughout the space and both turned to address him.

"Master" – Aqua rushed toward him – "where's Ventus?"

Master Eraqus looked at her skeptically. "Isn't he with you?"

All the color drained from Aqua's face and Terra's breath hitched in his throat.

"Aqua, what's wrong?" The Master noticed her reaction and saw Terra was with her as well. "Where's Ventus?"

"I found Vanitas in the Keyblade Graveyard," she informed solemnly. "I defeated him but I was injured and lost consciousness after the battle. Thankfully, Terra found me but when he did, Vanitas was gone… It was as if he was never there…"

"Vanitas has returned? What of Master Xehanort? Was he with him?" Master Eraqus all but demanded. Just as she feared, he was becoming more frantic by the moment and honestly, so was she.

Aqua shook her head. "Xehanort wasn't with him and Vanitas didn't give any indication to where he might be. I'm so sorry, Master. I failed you."

In hindsight, she should have baited Vanitas into telling her where Xehanort was. She could have done it but at the time, her primary objective was to defeat Vanitas and protect Ven.

"They cannot find Ventus. They can't get to him before you do. You must find him!"

As the Master spoke, Aqua began experiencing extreme déjà vu. Those words were so much like the ones he'd spoken the first time Ven left home in order to follow Terra. This wasn't good. Was history repeating itself?

* * *

While Aqua continued to discuss matters with Master Eraqus, Terra had wandered further into his childhood home in a daze.

It had been years since he had walked through this part of their fortress. When he returned with Aqua a few days ago, he had only ventured to the throne room. He didn't journey to the homey wing where their rooms resided until now, but everything was almost_ just_ as he remembered it; the color of the walls and the floor, the glimmer of the oversized windows, and even the little things like the creaks or cracks in some of the floorboards.

The Keyblade bearer didn't dare venture to his room but he trek into Ven's, hoping that by some miracle he was merely sleeping within and just hadn't heard Aqua calling for him.

When he entered the room, he instantly noticed how different it looked now. Unlike the hallways, foyers, and corridors, Ven's room _had _changed. Ven had grown up and his room's state only proceeded to verify that fact.

Terra leisurely walked around the room and noticed how the childish things were gone and replaced by more mature decorations and trinkets. It looked more like his did before he left and the only childish thing left within the space was the toy Keyblade he had given him years ago. His old, wooden Keyblade rested silently in the corner of the room, worn and used but not broken.

Slowly, Terra knelt in front of the makeshift Keyblade and traced his fingertips along the frayed edges of the hilt where he had carved his name another lifetime ago.

"Ven… I'm so sorry… I should've… I should've just sucked up my pride and come home. This is all my fault. Everything…all of it... None of this would've happened if I'd just come home when Xehanort disappeared, if I would have listened to my instincts instead of Xehanort. I was the one who messed up but I bet you sat here wondering why I didn't come back after the threat was gone. I bet you sat here trying to figure out what it was that you'd done wrong…"

Terra sank further into the ground and buried his face in his hands in pure, undiluted frustration. It was the frustration he had felt toward himself many times before, the guilt that churned in his entrails, the remorse he wrestled with daily, and the conflict he bickered with constantly. All of it consumed him as his hands clawed at the edges of his face in an attempt to hide the shame and cope with the vexation.

"I told him it was my fault you didn't come back," Aqua's delicate voice gently rang through the space around him.

Terra tensed and looked back at her. She was standing elegantly in the doorway, holding her folded hands out in front of her but the look on her face was so familiar. It mirrored and rivaled the emotions that he too was wrestling with at that very moment.

"Why would it have been your fault?" he asked in bewilderment, not rising from his kneeling position on the floor.

Aqua took in a deep breath. "Because, I pushed you away and we didn't exactly make it easy for you to come home."

"No. You just did what you thought you were supposed to do. You were just following the Master's orders."

"That doesn't mean that it was necessarily the right thing to do or that it wouldn't hurt you. We doubted you and we shouldn't have._ I_ shouldn't have…"

"But you were right to. Remember?" he interrupted. "I did need to be watched. Like I said before, I was leading us right into oblivion."

"Regardless, that doesn't make what I did any better. I still treated you unfairly…" she whispered, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Are you talking about what happened in Radiant Garden?" he probed, watching her intently. This conversation seemed a lot like the one they had on the Summit a few days ago. They seemed fixated on it.

"Partly," she replied with a shrug. "I guess I'm talking about anything and everything that happened after the Mark of Mastery Exam…"

He could tell by her posture and by her tone that she was – and had been – beating herself up about how she'd treated him, about how they had left things three years ago, about _everything._

Terra would be lying if he said that it hadn't been hard, that he hadn't thought about it a lot during the last three years of his life but he didn't hate her for it. He understood now but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. The fact that they hadn't trusted him would always sting.

"We should get going," he said stoically as he rose to his feet and turned to face her.

Aqua's expression changed from one of remorse to one of confusion in a millisecond.

"Excuse me?" she squeaked, her eyes wide.

"You are going to look for Ven, right?"

"Well, yes…" she replied, her eyes still mystified and her tone uncertain. "But I didn't think that you would be going with me. I know how much your independence and being on your own means to you…"

"My independence was a joke. For a long time, I thought it was what I wanted but I slowly began to realize it really wasn't. I wanted to be more independent but at the end of the day…" Terra couldn't bring himself to admit to her how much he had missed them. He had said more than he ever meant to already but she just had that effect on him. She always made him feel like he could tell her anything. Aqua could crack him open like an egg without even lifting a finger.

"Anyway," he snapped, shaking his head as if he could rub out the thoughts bubbling around in his skull. "Ven would want us to work together and we have a better chance of finding him that way too."

Terra was also really starting to think there might be something to this…_thing_ between them. The Keychain had demanded his respect. He had seen and felt the repercussions and he refused let his neglect of it harm anyone again if he had the power to stop it. Besides, Ven needed them,_ both_ of them. He made the mistake of going off on his own before and turned out, that was exactly what Xehanort wanted. He refused to make the same mistakes twice, especially now that Xehanort and his underlings were manifesting in the realm of light again.

"Oh," she breathed.

"Are you disappointed?"

"No," she responded with an aggressive shake of her head. "No, it isn't that. I'm just…surprised."

"We should get going. The sooner we find Ven, the better," he said with steely resolve as he began making his way toward the door.

"Right," she concurred, quickly following him out of the room.

This would be an adjustment for both of them. It had been a long time since they had been a team but Terra knew this was the best course of action. Everything inside of him was telling him to go with her, so he would. Together, they could find Ven and hopefully, all of them could finally put an end to this madness.

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading and thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/reviewed!_**

**_Next time, Aqua and Terra will set out to search for Ven and visit Master Yen Sid! _**

**_Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own ANY part of Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

* * *

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

Initially, Aqua wanted to go to either Disney Town to see Mickey or to Radiant Garden to talk to Lea and Isa. She planned on going to both places but in no particular order since she was certain surely one of those worlds could give her a clue to where Ven was. That was her plan until they talked to the Master. He was convinced that the first place they should go was to the Mysterious Tower so they could speak with Master Yen Sid before they did anything else.

In hindsight, his plan had been much better than hers. Seeing Yen Sid first certainly made more sense considering his knowledge and wisdom so Aqua complied while Terra seemed content to just follow her lead.

The tower stood as it always did, tall and crooked amongst the glittering stars. Seas of bright, glowing orange warded off the presence of perpetual night, coloring the sky a much paler hue of black. The strange ocean reflected up the horizon and landscape until the heavens were more dark blue than black but that didn't keep the stars from shining brightly overhead.

The blue-haired wielder could never determine if it was early morning or late evening in this world. As a traveler and Keyblade Master, she was used to times and seasons varying depending on the worlds she visited but this one was so unusual she could never quite pinpoint the correct hour. Was the sun rising or setting over the large, green, mossy mountains that jutted out of the bizarre orange swell?

"What time do you think it is here?" Aqua asked her unusually quiet traveling companion.

Terra had been unnaturally quiet since they left The Land of Departure. Aqua certainly wasn't a talkative individual herself, (that honor went to Ven) but Terra's noiselessness did bother her. Perhaps what bothered her wasn't the silence or the lack of conversation itself but the fact that it was unlike him. Terra wasn't as talkative as Ven—who could strike up a conversation with just about anyone or anything—but he certainly wasn't what she would call shy or quiet.

The young man shrugged. "Twilight? Late evening?"

Aqua nodded and began her trek up the creamy steps of the tower, accepting that her attempt at conversation had failed. Terra was simply uninterested and detached although he had agreed they should search for Ven as a team. He was uncertain, as he seemed to be with everything now, hesitant to the point of withdrawal and inactivity. He seemed so afraid of failing or messing up again that he barely did anything.

Terra was fractured. She could see that, feel it even but he had to get his confidence back if they were going to make a good team…

The trip up the seemingly endless flights of stairs was like their trip to the world itself; quiet. Terra followed closely on Aqua's heels as she led the way. Sometimes she would feel his eyes boring into her back and she would look over her shoulder at him to give him a reassuring smile. His features would soften and he would almost smile but not quite.

Halfway up, Aqua slowed. She placed her hands on her back and stretched her sore torso. She was a lot better. Terra had done a magnificent job of healing her and she had continued to work on her injury herself but Vanitas had really done a number on her waist.

"How is it?" Terra asked, catching up to her and eyeing her closely.

Aqua grimaced. She really hoped he wouldn't notice that it was her injury that had slowed her down.

"Better. A lot better but I'm still kind of sore," she admitted since he had seen through her ruse.

"Need me to look at it?"

"No." Aqua's brow furrowed and she shook her head, adamant. "That's not necessary. I can look at it later. Thank you though."

Terra nodded and with that, he slipped back into muteness, nothing changing except this time he took the lead.

Aqua sighed and for a moment, wished she'd let him look at her injury. It might've kept him from slipping back into this despondent mood a bit longer…

Finally, they reached the final tier and Yen Sid's door. Aqua took it upon herself to knock when Terra merely stood at the entrance.

"_Enter." _

Terra and Aqua did as commanded and saw the old sorcerer calmly waiting inside. He sat before a wall of large windows that mimicked the shapes and forms of a crescent moon and stars. His large, green chair was so tall it towered far over his head, threatening to scrape the ceiling. The candle atop the strange skull on his desk was lit, suggesting he was likely trying to read from the massive book in front of him before they had intruded.

"Master Yen Sid," Aqua greeted and bowed. As if attached to her by invisible strings, Terra followed suit and bowed at well.

Yen Sid's eyes brightened and his mouth twitched, his imitation of a smile. "Terra, Aqua."

"We are terribly sorry to intrude but something has happened…" Aqua began, casting Terra a quick glance as they approached the desk. "Vanitas has returned and Ven is missing."

Master Yen Sid's expression held a flash of surprise before it turned hard again.

"I went to the Keyblade Graveyard to search for Xehanort. I didn't find him but I stumbled upon Vanitas. We fought and I won but I was injured. I passed out and when I came to, I was with Terra and he informed me that Vanitas was gone. And now Ven is missing, too, which is why we are here. We thought maybe you could help us and give us some advice on where to look and what to do now…"

Yen Sid sighed and leaned back into his chair. "If Vanitas is back, that means Xehanort is probably back as well. It is unlikely that Vanitas wouldn't act unless given orders to do so."

"That's what I'm afraid of. What if Vanitas was distracting me so Xehanort could get his hands on Ven…?"

Aqua's words made guilt coil in Terra's gut. If that were true, then he had played his part in getting Ven in trouble, too. He hadn't been home. He left them and played right into Xehanort's ploy again. Again, Terra couldn't help but wonder if history was repeating itself.

"I wouldn't put such plotting beyond Xehanort. After all, he has had three years to dwell on all of this and carefully calculate his next move. However, Ven is no push over and he knows the dangers now as we all do. Xehanort has more obstacles to overcome this time as well. We know of the overall goal of his plans, which does give us some advantage but we must find Ventus so Xehanort cannot forge the χ-blade." Yen Sid rose to his feet and walked to the large, half-moon shaped window.

"I thought we should talk to Mickey and his friends in Radiant Garden before we assume the worst… I was going to go there as soon as I realized Ven was missing but the Master thought it would be wise for us to seek your counsel first," Aqua said calmly, professionally.

The sorcerer nodded. "Consulting Mickey and his friends would be a wise first step. After that, if you have not found him, you will have to take a more drastic course of action since then it would be safe to assume he is in danger and likely with Xehanort, but that will be hard to do. Finding him would then become like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Just like it was the first time…" Aqua sighed and massaged her eyes. "It's like it is happening all over again…"

The Keyblade Master looked defeated and they hadn't even really started yet.

"We don't know that." Terra placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her although her thoughts and concerns were practically identical to his. "Let's not assume the worst. Master Yen Sid is right. Ven isn't a kid anymore. He can take care of himself."

Aqua brought her hands to her mouth as if she were praying. "Yes, but that doesn't make me feel any better. Both Ven and Vanitas are bigger now. I've watched Ven grow as a wielder and as a man. He is stronger than he has ever been although the Master and I have been trying for years to somewhat curb his growth since the χ-blade is still a possibility. Fighting Vanitas reminded me of why we did that, as cruel as it was. It was to keep the χ-blade's power at bay. Just imagine how powerful it would be now if they merged… They are twice the wielders they were before. Not only would it be stronger, but the individual wielding it would be, too."

"Ven won't let that happen. He knows as well as you do how dangerous that weapon is, how important it is that it not come into existence," Terra assured. "He won't do anything that would endanger the worlds or the balance."

Aqua nodded. "You're right. I'm jumping to conclusions, but I'm just…frightened."

Hearing Aqua admit she was frightened was like hearing Ven say he_ wanted_ to take a bath. Such things just didn't happen. Fear was something that was and always would be foreign on Aqua, but he knew that when she said she was frightened, she didn't mean that she was frightened personally. She was frightened for Ven, for the worlds she protected, for those who could be in danger because she couldn't stop Xehanort three years ago.

"I will do all I can to help while you venture out to look for Ven physically," Yen Sid said calmly. "If I hear or learn anything that might be of some help, I will let you and Eraqus know immediately. First, before you head out, I think you and Terra should consult one of my books."

Terra and Aqua exchanged glances while Yen Sid began walking towards the dual doors on the other side of the room.

The Master opened the door and motioned for the duo to follow him. They did as instructed, Terra doing so more begrudgingly than Aqua.

Yen Sid pulled out a massive book from a nearby bookshelf. It was blue with spiraling gold trim and Aqua could smell it's musty, old pages even though she had yet to open the tome.

"Before you and Terra do anything, I think you should look through this book. I believe it contains material that may be helpful to you."

"What exactly are we looking for in this book?" Terra asked and Aqua was glad he did so. It was a good question, one she was ashamed she didn't ask herself.

"You'll know it when you find it," he replied ominously before he began strolling out of the room.

"I-I appreciate the offer but I'm not sure we have time for—" Aqua began but he was already gone, leaving them alone with the enormous book filled with endless amounts of knowledge.

Terra sighed and placed his hands on his hips, looking around the room, likely looking for an escape.

"He probably isn't going to let us leave until we at least pretend to look over this stuff." Aqua took a seat in one of the empty chairs at the table and prepared to sift through the books that had been placed before them.

Terra nodded and eventually plopped into the seat beside her. He already appeared bored and she could tell that the years had done nothing for his patience.

When they were younger, when the Master gave them assignments, they would often go to the library and study together. Terra would put forth some effort initially but she would end up doing all the work while he would merely watch her, wooden Keyblade firmly in hand.

Much like when they were younger, Aqua had her nose in the book and Terra merely peered over her shoulder to gaze at the pages occasionally. Most of the time, he simply sat there with his arms folded over his chest, staring out at nothing, at one of the mirrors in the room, or staring at her. After a while, he would shift positions or get out of his seat altogether, flop onto the floor, and lie on his back.

Presently, he was doing a lot of the latter.

Aqua glanced over her shoulder at him. "You making it okay?"

"Mm," he mumbled. "My back got tired. Again."

Aqua chuckled. "Sitting in a chair is tough."

Terra stared holes into the ceiling but his eyes kept wandering back to Aqua. Eloquent and patient as always, she rummaged through the book in search of something they may or may not find.

He would offer to take the next shift…eventually. He just couldn't say that reading was something that interested him. As a result, he would read just for the sake of reading and would often forget what he had read to begin with. It would probably be better and more efficient if Aqua did the reading…

Terra watched intently as Aqua pulled a tuft of her hair behind her ear. Her hair was longer, not by much but substantial enough that he noticed. It wasn't as choppy or as layered. It was as if it had mellowed with her age. It was closer to one length all around although it still had layers and didn't flow much beyond her chin but was much closer to her shoulders than he remembered it being. It was nice. He mentally noted that he approved.

For a long time, Aqua didn't find anything that seemed helpful. She checked the pages Yen Sid had marked or written in but none of it seemed significant until she found a section on Keychains. Undoubtedly, that was why he'd given them this particular book before they began their search.

There was a whole history within those pages. It gave examples of each kind of Keychain. There was an example of an obligational Keychain between two brothers. Their Keychain lasted until they disposed of an emperor who was trying to take over their world by force. Meanwhile, some of the documentations of Keychains even dated back to the Keyblade war. One of which was romantic. It was between two people who had never met each other prior to the birth of their Keychain. During the war, the male counterpart of the chain had saved the female's life. It said that the Keychain came to life the instant he touched her in order to heal her but they didn't actually fall in love until later or perhaps they just didn't realize it until later. They married but the man was killed in the war shortly after. It was documented that his wife lost her mind instantly in her grief and lied next to him on the ground until she was slain too…

Aqua visibly grimaced at that. She looked away from the book and exhaled heavily.

"Aqua?" Terra's hand found her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Sensing her distress, he had gotten up and back into his chair but she had been so absorbed in what she was reading, she didn't notice.

"I just…read something unpleasant. I'm fine. I just needed a minute…"

"What was it?" he asked timidly.

"Just some stuff about Keychains and the Keyblade War. Some of it is hard to read," she said, turning the page.

Terra nodded his understanding but didn't pry further. He could tell she didn't want to discuss it anymore.

Diving back in, Aqua mostly read echoes of what Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid had already told them. It said that the wielders had to be compatible, that each Keychain was different depending on the bond, those involved, and sometimes, what already existed between counterparts. The extent of the bond depended on the relationship in one form or another. It could enhance abilities and even give birth to new (usually temporary) abilities like being able to read the mind of a counterpart if one concentrated enough or if another _wanted_ their thoughts to be heard. Keychains supposedly heightened whatever senses or powers one already possessed. There were even reports that said that a key could attract a counterpart or counterparts who would then act as a form of guardian.

There were lots of theories and inconsistencies but almost all accounts described the bond as a benefit, a gift bestowed upon peacekeepers to save one or many, to protect one or protect all.

The only thing that really surprised her was the content stating that wielders could feel when the bond left them. There were journal entries where individuals wrote about feeling a disconnect instantly. Some even went into depressions afterwards. Once the alleged threat was gone and balance was restored, the unnatural element of the bond retreated as well. The natural links made within the relationship remained, but that particular link was gone forever.

Suddenly, Aqua knew what kind of Keychain she and Terra had. It was obligational. It was meant to bring about the end to this conflict with Xehanort. Fate knew that they would be separated from Ven and that they would need this bond to put an end to this struggle. That was their destiny. They were bound so that they could defeat Xehanort with the bonds added power and when they managed to do that, their Keychain would no longer exist.

Feeling drained, Aqua closed the book and decided to keep most of what she'd read to herself. She would tell Terra a little if he asked but the part about the disconnect... She'd keep that to herself. She had a feeling that that particular aspect would affect her more than it would him anyway.

Terra followed her out of the room and back to Master Yen Sid's desk. As gently as possible, Aqua placed the massive book back onto his desk. The sorcerer's dull eyes locked onto the book for a moment before they lazily lifted and focused on them.

"Did you find anything else of interest in the book?"

"Not particularly…" she replied.

Yen Sid nodded as if he were mentally noting something, like he caught something she didn't. She thought he would explain but instead he proceeded to say: "You best be on your way to see Mickey now. He should be at Disney Castle."

* * *

Laughter had become a foreign concept. It was something that was rarely experienced. Genuine laughter had not escaped their lips since the night before their exam. Why? There was no reason to laugh.

Terra had no one to laugh with in his self-imposed exile and Aqua and Ven didn't really laugh without him around… Things became dire, raw, and cold. So being in a place like Disney Town after three years was dizzying, alien.

Bright, colorful balloons of almost every vibrant shade floated in the bright blue atmosphere and visitors laughed, ate ice cream, raced, and children played game after game of Fruitball until their tired little bodies gave out.

Aqua gave a vacant smile, one that didn't really reach her eyes at the sight of the individuals having fun. She was mildly envious. They had lifetime passes to Disney Town but never the time or energy to go and actually enjoy themselves.

"I hope he is here," Aqua whispered as they made their way through the vibrant town, their feet gliding over the canary yellow streets.

"Master Yen Sid said he would be," Terra replied.

"Well, yes, but I've never actually seen him here, in his kingdom."

"If he isn't here, we can talk to the Queen. She is always here. She will help us."

Aqua gave a nod before crashing into a massive blob of white. She ricocheted off the mushy obstacle and fell back into Terra's arms. With lightning fast reflexes, his arms looped under hers just before she hit the ground, causing her vision to fill with an upside down Terra. On impulse, she smiled and chuckled nervously as he peered down at her.

"Wha- Who dares touch the righteous cape of Captain Justice?!" the blob replied and Aqua grimaced.

"Oh, no," she mumbled as Terra helped her back to her feet.

Captain _'Justice' _turned abruptly to glare down at her. "Look here, pipsqueak! Who are you to blatantly touch my cloak of morality without my permission? I am the hero and defender of this town!"

Terra looked flat out confused yet somehow amused by this before looking a bit offended or insulted that someone would talk to Aqua in such a way.

"Um, well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"You should be more careful, fair maiden! Not all bona fide heroes are as merciful as I!" he boasted, his pride practically bursting the orange seams of his white jumpsuit.

"Fair maiden?!" Aqua reeled and Terra simpered, attempting to hide his smirk in his fist.

"I suppose I can forgive you for thy wrongdoing this time, citizen. Captain Justice understands that his presence is overwhelming to most commoners and can invoke uncontrollable, elated joy but you must refrain from touching his cape in the future!" the _'bona fide hero' _scolded, pointing a hefty finger down at Aqua.

Aqua merely stood there, her eyes wide and mouth agape. Meanwhile, Terra was too amused to say or do anything but watch.

"Huh?" she squeaked.

"Now if you will excuse me, Captain Justice has trouble to thwart! Do not fear! I am on my way!"

And just like that, he was gone in a blaze of swank, white, and orange. Aqua couldn't decide if she should be glad or furious that he hadn't recognized her…

"Was that…Captain Dark in a white suit?" Terra asked, his expression still very entertained as his arms folded over his chest.

"Captain Dark?"

"Yeah. When I came here three years ago, he was running around calling himself Captain Dark. So now he is Captain Justice?"

Aqua shrugged. "I guess but he was Captain Justice when I came here three years ago… Oh, well. It doesn't matter. I believe his real name is Pete, anyway."

"Sounds like the guy is going through an identity crisis…"

"Probably." Aqua shifted uncomfortably. "Can we keep moving and forget this ever happened?"

Terra smirked. "I don't know… I'm still not sure if I want to forget the look on your face when he called you a 'fair maiden'. That was pretty-"

Aqua scowled at him.

Terra held his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay. You win. We will forget it…after I tell Ven…"

Aqua stiffened and gently yet playfully pushed Terra's arm. "Terra! No!"

"_Aqua?" _

The Keyblade Master's scolding stopped as she turned to address the voice speaking to her.

"Why, it is you!" the voice became even more excited and she was finally able to make out the source of the voice. It was none other than Horace Horsecollar, just as she remembered him, clad in blue overalls and a tiny yellow hat atop his head nestled firmly between his ears.

"Horace!" she cried as he made his way through the crowds to approach her, his arms waving flamboyantly.

"Gosh, it's been so long I hardly recognized ya!" he said with a smile, quickly taking Aqua's hand in his own in a warm, friendly greeting.

Aqua smiled. "It has been a while… I'm sorry I haven't come to visit more but I have been a bit busy."

"Awe, I reckon I can forgive ya! I'm just glad you finally came back! Please tell me you are here to run off ole Captain Useless…"

Terra chuckled dryly and Aqua hid a giggle.

"No," she replied. "I'm afraid not. We are actually here to see the King. You wouldn't happen to know where we could find him, would you?"

"Why, he is up at the castle. Probably gettin' ready for the Dream Festival."

Wow, it had been almost three years to date. The last time they were here it was time for the Dream Festival. That would explain why Pete was in his Captain Justice attire. Trying to get votes for the Million Dreams Award no doubt.

"Would you mind telling us how to get to the castle from here?" Terra inquired.

"Oh, where are my manners!" Aqua exclaimed and grabbed Terra's arm, pulling him closer to Horace.

"Horace, this is my friend Terra. Terra, this is Horace. He works in Fruitball Plaza. Three years ago, I helped him get rid of the Unversed that were ruining Fruitball," Aqua explained.

"Wouldn'ta been able to have the Dream Festival without her! It's a pleasure to meet ya, Terra. Any friend of Aqua's is a friend o' mine." Horace grinned and patted Terra politely on the back.

Terra nodded. "It's nice to meet you, too. Now about this castle…"

"Oh, right! You two were wantin' directions."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've been here and even when I was here, I never went to the castle…" Terra scratched the back of his neck and eyed his vibrant surroundings.

"It ain't no trouble to get to the castle. I can help get you there sure as sugar."

However, it was far from _'sure as sugar'._ Turned out, Horace was not the best at giving directions… The way he described things was a bit obtuse to say the least. He didn't name locations and used the word 'thingy' and 'whatchamacallit' a great deal.

Deciding that Terra was doing a better job of translating Horace's directions, Aqua moved to a nearby bench to take a seat. She was growing tired and her abdomen was starting to grow sore from all the walking and standing. Sitting down and running Cure over her tender muscles for a moment certainly wouldn't hurt. From the sound of it, they had quite the walk ahead of them so it would be unwise of her to not take the opportunity to refresh herself while she could.

As Aqua sat down, she heard a disgusting, grotesque sound.

_**SSSQUIIISSSHHH!**_

Suddenly, her leggings were wet and squishy. She could feel moisture on her thighs and rear.

She just sat in something, something big, soggy, and gross.

_Fruitball… I just sat on a piece of Fruitball… _

Grimacing, she desperately tried to figure a way out of this situation without embarrassing herself.

Terra was still trying to translate Horace's directions and they were still talking so she had some time to think things though.

Frantically, Aqua began scanning the area for a place where she could hide or dry off or…something! For heaven's sake she couldn't be seen like this!

"_Look, Chipper! It's Terra!" _

"_Terra, Terra! You came back!" _

Suddenly, two chipmunks entered the square and within a blink of an eye, had crawled up Terra's legs and perched themselves on his broad shoulders.

"What're you, nuts, showin' up outta tha blue without tellin' anyone you're comin' ta visit?!" Chip cried, stomping his tiny foot on Terra's shoulder.

"Sorry?" he replied with a shrug.

"You better be sorry!" Dale added from Terra's other shoulder. "You gonna come race? Huh? Are ya? Are ya? Are ya?"

"Sorry, guys. I don't think I have time… You see, Aqua and I have to go find the King. Ven has gone missing and we were hoping he could help us find him. You two haven't seen Ven around, have you?"

"Nope. I haven't seen him since you were here three years ago. You three have done a pretty good job of keepin' yourselves scarce…" Chip reprimanded gently.

"Again, I'm sorry. Hey, why don't you go talk to Aqua while I finish talking to Horace?"

_No! _

Aqua blanched. Just as she thought the chipmunks could be enough of a distraction, Terra throws them at her…! She would never get away from this now… While Terra and Horace were distracted by Chip and Dale, she had come to the conclusion that she could subtly hide behind the stack of crates nearby and wipe her behind off enough so that it wouldn't be as noticeable, but Terra had just effectively thwarted that plan…

The duo leapt off Terra's form and scurried to her feet. "Hiya, Aqua! What cha doing sittin' all the way over here all by yourself?"

Aqua was shocked they remembered her. She only met them once in passing when Minnie gave out the Million Dreams Award. Apparently, the chipmunks had a better memory then Pete did.

"I was kind of tired so I came over her to sit down for a moment," she replied gently, crossing her legs and wincing at the squishy, gloppy sound the remnants of Fruitball she sat on made.

The duo sat on her lap and instantly began chattering.

_"_Why are you tired?"

"Are you hurt?"

"How long have you known Terra?"

"Do you race?"

"You should come to the racetrack!"

"Come on! Get up! We can go now!"

"She can't go now, Dale! She has to see the King, remember?"

Politely, she answered and deflected question after question. Once they interrogated her, they started conversing amongst themselves about how wonderful a racer Terra was and told her about how Pete almost ran him over. Aqua was barely listening as she tried to figure out how to now get the chipmunks out of her lap, stand, and find some way to hide the fact that she had sat in (likely rotten) Fruitball…

However, before she could figure it out, Terra was wrapping things up with Horace. He motioned for her to come over and she really started to panic. Terra was ready to go… Chip and Dale ran back to Terra's side but soon he would be wondering why she wasn't standing up…

Aqua chewed on her lip and politely looked away.

"Come on, I know where we are going now. Let's go," he called and she swallowed hard.

Subtly, Aqua shook her head. Unfortunately for her, Terra was not one to take subtle hints.

"We gotta go!" he insisted, getting more impatient.

"I can't," she whispered, her words barely audible.

Terra looked legitimately confused and a bit frustrated.

"Come here…" She frantically motioned for him to come to her only to have him stubbornly do the same.

Realizing this tactic was getting her nowhere, she said: "Never mind! Just go." She waved her hand dismissively for him to go away so she could…tend to herself privately.

"What?" he yelled. He was about to cause a scene and everyone was looking at her…

"Go… I'll catch up," Aqua said and now even Horace looked confused by her behavior.

Misreading her actions and likely thinking something was wrong with her, Terra walked across the plaza. He effectively closed the gap between them and by the time he got there, she realized he was nervous, worry marring his features.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Is it your stomach?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?" he snapped, worry turning into aggravation.

"Terra…" she grabbed his arm and quickly pulled them into a nearby corner, careful not to reveal her tarnished backside. Carefully and strategically, she shielded them behind the nearby pyramid of crates and boxes she spotted earlier.

Once safely hidden, she slowly and partially turned so Terra could see that she had sat on a Fruitball that had effectively covered her behind and most of her legs in its gooey substance. It dripped down her legs and fell to the ground in gross, sloshy clumps that splattered when they hit the ground.

Terra's eyes widened with realization for a moment before he burst into a fit of laughter.

Aqua's face turned blood red and her face began to burn. "Shh. Don't…"

As soon as he got a quick glance, she swiftly turned around again to keep the embarrassing stain out of view.

She tried to get him to stop laughing so loudly (Chip and Dale would have an absolute field day with this) but he didn't. If anything, he was laughing harder.

"Terra…! Please…" she begged, ashamed, her eyes glowing with desperation, exasperation, and embarrassment, but despite this, she began to chuckle. "Please…stop laughing at me."

The bronze warrior placed his hands on his knees and actually bowed over with husky laughter.

Then, like floodgates being released, Aqua began giggling then flat-out laughing and found that she couldn't stop even though she was so embarrassed she wished the world would swallow her whole.

"How…" Terra brayed. "How… How did…" He couldn't finish his sentence. He was laughing too hard and forming words was impossible.

"How did you do this to yourself?" he finally sputtered, leaning against the tower of crates for support.

She couldn't answer. At this point, she was laughing too hard herself, so hard in fact that it stopped making sound.

It was the same for both of them. Although it was far from the funniest thing either of them had ever seen, it was certainly funny enough to start a domino effect of much needed chortles neither of them could stop.

Now, they were not only laughing at her current condition but also at the fact they were actually laughing. Once it started, it couldn't be stopped.

"You… You… It's all over your pants!" he bellowed, his voice squeaking from the strain.

"S-Stop! It's not funny!"

She forgot how much she loved the sound of his laugh. She even forgot how her hard, genuine laugh even sounded.

"I-I didn't see it…!" she giggled.

Terra shook his head, sobering a bit. "Come on." He said as he patted her back. "Let's go get you cleaned up. You can't face royalty with Fruitball juice and remnants all over your butt." He laughed a bit more, carefully positioning himself behind her so he could help her hide the stain until they could tend to it and make it less noticeable.

"I didn't see it!"

Terra merely chuckled in response as he ushered her forward.

"I didn't!"

Upon arrival to Disney Town, laughter had been a foreign concept but as they ventured to the castle, it wasn't nearly as alien. If someone would have told her that she would be genuinely laughing as much as (if not more so than) the individuals around them, she would have thought them mad, but she was, they _both were_. It was hard to comprehend but it was…nice and she felt a bit more like herself than she had in a long time.

* * *

"_What do you mean you didn't kill her?!" _

Ven's eyes slowly opened but the haze was too thick, his eyes were too muddled. He couldn't see where he was or who was talking. His head hurt, the sound of gushing water loud in his ears and the ground he lied upon was cold and sleek and…orange?

"_Just what I said. I didn't kill her. The oaf showed up just as I was about to finish her off and I was in no condition to fight him after…" _

"_After Aqua whooped your ass!"_ a third voice mused and began braying with unhinged laughter.

"_You try killing her then! I'd love to watch her take you down a few notches!"_

"_As if!" _

"Do not patronize Braig, Vanitas. He did his job," Xehanort's rattling voice chided and Ven became painfully aware of the voices around him. "But it doesn't matter. Aqua will get what is coming to her soon enough. I would have rather had her out of the way before she could cause any more problems, but I am not beyond making adjustments."

"Want us to go finish her off?" Braig offered confidently, cocking his arrowgun in his hand.

Xehanort pondered this for a moment, folding his hands behind his arched back. "No."

"No?" Braig reeled. "Why the hell not? She has been nothing but a wrench in the works since the very beginning!"

"Yes, but if what Vanitas says is true, she is with Terra now and that is a problem. I have no doubts you and Vanitas could take her alone but not with Terra." Xehanort shook his head.

Vanitas scoffed. Clearly, he begged to differ but refrained from arguing with his master.

"However, this could still be used to our advantage. Our new plan will simply be our old plan. Aqua will be disposed of but we will wait for the right time to do so. Her death will be the final blow to Terra's resolve then my vessel will be ready."

"A-Aqua? Terra?" Ven called, his voice hoarse and weak.

The haze in Ven's eyes started to clear and he could suddenly make out some of his surroundings again. He tried to move but he quickly realized he was in chains and he was face first on the ground in a very uncomfortable position.

Instinctively, he began fighting the restraints.

"He's coming to," Vanitas grumbled without looking in Ven's direction, and Braig jumped to attention, taking a few apprehensive, cowardly steps away from the Keyblade wielder although he was restrained.

"Ah, we meet again boy," Xehanort greeted, kneeling down in front of Ventus' prostrate form.

"Get away from me!' Ven hissed although he could barely make out Xehanort's features, he knew his voice and knew he was close, too close.

Aeroga shot from his fingers and blasted from his mouth as he tried to get to his feet and away from the old Master.

"Calm down, Ventus. Is that any way to greet your old master? We haven't spoken in years and you can't even give me a proper greeting?" Xehanort placed a hand over his heart and feigned genuine hurt.

Ventus had no words. All he could muster was a nasty glare.

"I can see you've been growing as a key slinger. You've got the angry look down." Braig scoffed and folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at Ventus contemptibly.

"Shut up!" the blonde wielder countered.

Xehanort sneered. "Now, now, Ventus. Don't go wasting your energy. You are going to need it to make the χ-blade."

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **_

_**Cliffhangers! Cliffhangers for everyone! But hey, this chapter was a bit brighter than the others, right? I threw a little fluff in there which is out of character for me! Hopefully, I did a good job although angst and unpleasantries are usually my forte. I digress. **_

_**Next time we will have a sleepover in Disney Castle! **_

_**Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in any, way, shape, or form. I own nothing.

* * *

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

Disney Castle was a villa of ivory and lush, green gardens. The castle itself towered high into the raspberry, afternoon sky and Aqua couldn't imagine how many rooms must reside within it.

As they made their way through the courtyard that led to the heart of the castle, Aqua realized she had never seen such intricate shrubbery nor had she seen this much green in such a contained space. Shrubs had been carefully sculpted into floral statues that appeared to mimic some kind of band or orchestra. Some played lush trumpets, others tubas, and some even had a set of drums.

In the center of the courtyard, amidst the band made of shrubs was a smaller, greener version of the castle. It wasn't half the size of the actual castle it mimicked but it was clearly made in its image. It had the same crooked rooftops, steeples, and spires and even the same tiny, yellow flags resting atop them.

To Aqua, the castle made of shrubbery in the center of the courtyard was the prettiest, probably because it was also the most colorful. It wasn't strictly green like the other bushes and shrubs inside the courtyard. Instead, a rounded flowerbed full of orange yellow, and even blue flowers surrounded the floral castle. It was even surrounded by a few other colorful shrubs that imitated stars, the sun, and the moon.

Amidst all this greenery was the captain of the royal knights, fast asleep and snoring.

"Should we wake him?" Aqua inquired, eyes darting back and forth between Goofy and Terra.

Terra tilted his head as he looked down at him as well. "Probably."

Aqua knelt on the ground beside the resting knight. "Excuse me."

Goofy didn't wake. If anything, the snoring grew louder. Aqua glanced back at Terra who only shrugged his shoulders, _'don't look at me'_ written all over his face.

"Um…" Aqua tapped Goofy's shoulder, causing him to snort but again, he didn't wake.

"_No, no, no!"_

Aqua looked over her shoulder to see the King's other friend, Donald, making his way toward them.

"That's not how you wake him up." The magician shook his head. "_This _is how you wake him up!"

Before Aqua and Terra could ask him what he meant, Donald had raised his arm and called down a Thunder spell on poor Goofy.

The captain wailed as he was launched a few feet into the air before plummeting back to the lush ground with a gentle thud.

The spell caused Aqua to tumble to her backside and caused Terra's eyes to widen.

"Donald! I wanted him awake, not hurt!" Aqua light-heartedly chastised.

Donald snickered mischievously. "Awe, it didn't hurt him…much."

Lazily, Goofy began to come to even after being shocked. He rubbed his big eyes and yawned a bit before his eyes focused on those around him.

"Hey there, Donald." He waved.

"Get up, Goofy. Aqua and Terra are here," Donald replied impatiently.

"Huh?" Goofy looked around in bewilderment. "Oh, hey! Donald, look! Aqua and Terra are here!"

A smile tugged at Terra's stubborn lips and Aqua giggled into her hand. She instantly began to wonder if Donald would shock him again. Instead he forcefully buried his face in his hand and began murmuring a string of indecipherable statements into his palm.

"What brings you here?" Goofy continued, completely oblivious to his friend's frustration. "It's been a while since we've seen ya! Where ya been?"

"It's a long, kind of complicated story," Aqua said with a weak smile. "But we were hoping we could see the King. You see, we aren't sure where Ven is and we were wondering if he has seen him."

"You two wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" Terra added.

The duo shook their heads and Aqua visibly deflated as Terra's jaw clenched.

"But we'd be happy to take you to see the King though!" Goofy said cheerfully, clearly trying to lift their spirits.

"Thanks," Terra replied as Aqua got back to her feet.

"Is he here?" she asked, brushing the foliage off her shorts as she spoke.

"Hmm, I reckon but I haven't seen him today."

"Because you've been sleeping all day," Donald countered.

Goofy giggled and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Come on. We'll take ya to Queen Minnie. She'll know where he is."

* * *

When they found Queen Minnie, she was in a large sitting room with Daisy. The room was very spacious and had room for several groups of people to inhabit the area without ever truly having to interact with each other. It was likely meant for large social gatherings but was probably used for other purposes throughout the year. Currently, Minnie and Daisy were using the room for what Terra could only assume was teatime, a time that usually only Minnie and Daisy participated in.

"I'm terribly sorry." Minnie sat the ivory teapot on the small, rounded table before her. "Mickey isn't here right now. He's town helping everyone get ready for the festival but he shouldn't be gone long. You are more than welcome to wait for him here. We have plenty of tea and cakes for everyone!"

Yes, there was plenty of tea, scones, teacakes, and truffles to go around but Terra wasn't really interested and apparently, neither was Aqua. After taking a few sips of tea and splitting a teacake, they had both politely left their seats at the table and ventured to the far end of the other side of the room and settled in beside a large window surrounded by several love seats and divans.

Terra wasn't one for waiting. Unlike Xehanort, he lacked the patience for tedious calculation and planning. Terra was a man of action and as a result, it made waiting for the King in this room feel like something akin to torture. However, having Aqua nearby did take the edge off. Whenever she sensed his unease, she would stop her own personal musings to talk to him and try to lure his mind away whatever dark corner it had wandered into. Her senses were keen and attune to him…so much so it astounded him although he supposed he should be used to it by now. Sometimes she would even sense it before he_ felt_ it.

The mage was perched on a large, red divan across from him but next to the massive window. Her long legs were tucked beneath her and her hand was resting on her forehead as she gazed through the sparkling glass. Her cerulean eyes reflected some of the green of the courtyard and her mouth would occasionally curve into a small smile when Huey, Dewey, and Louie would dash through the green garden or when the King's dog, Pluto, nuzzled her foot, demanding attention that she offered without hesitation.

Amongst her many talents, was the ability to find beauty in negative spaces, not that Disney Castle was negative space, quite the contrary. What he meant by negative space was the time they spent in limbo between knowing if Ven was safe or if he was with Xehanort.

It was quiet again and in that quiet, Terra had time to think and he _really_ didn't like giving his mind the opportunity to wander. He didn't trust it. It would go to dreary places that only Aqua could seem to drag him out of.

Feeling uneasy for the umpteenth time, his hand instinctively slipped into his pocket so he could take hold of his Wayfinder as he eyed his surroundings yet again. Perhaps it could ease his mind until he found another distraction.

"You kept it." Aqua smiled.

Terra jerked. Blinking, he muttered, "Huh?"

"You're Wayfinder. You kept it."

"Oh." He looked down at the good luck charm. Holding it had become so habitual at this point that he hadn't even really noticed he had taken it out. The silence must really be getting to him if he had resorted to seeking its comfort. "Right…"

"I'm glad."

"Mm… Hey…Aqua…?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think…? Do you think they worked?" Terra ran his thumb along the cool metal of the orange charm.

"The Wayfinders?"

"Mm."

"Sometimes. I suppose we did _technically_ find our way back to each other. I mean, you and I are together now. You came back home but Ven's not here with us. Maybe my magic is faulty or maybe it can bring Ven back too… Perhaps someday I'll get it right and we can all be together again but that's just wistful thinking. It's strange… I can't convince myself to believe like I use to. I lost the ability to…somewhere along the way…"

"Reality slapped all of us in the face when we left home. The harshness of everything out there tears at even the strongest of hearts. It's only human to react to it but I think you're wrong. I think you still believe. The only difference I see in you now is that you know what it's like to fail. You learned that believing doesn't always work when or sometimes even _how_ you expect it to. Things can still go wrong even if you do believe…"

Aqua stared at him for a long moment with faraway eyes, her mind somewhere else; somewhere distant and he couldn't reach her there. Eventually, she nodded and cast her gaze out the window again.

He knew he'd played a major part in damaging her ability to believe. He'd let her down and by doing so, damaged her faith. He knew she and Ven both knew of the cruelty out there and how bad things could be. It was disheartening to see but it wasn't the same as experiencing someone you care about disappoint you. It was the ultimate blow to someone's self-esteem, their confidence, their faith in humanity…

Terra remembered lashing out at her that day, on the reactor in Radiant Garden. He remembered how he felt when she divulged that she'd seen what he had done and that she thought he was too close to the darkness. At that point, Ven still believed in him. He'd defended him like Aqua used to and Terra couldn't put into words how hard it was to watch her refuse to defend him any longer, to accuse instead of defend. She had stood there, stone faced and cold, steeled with resolve and stared him down with no sympathy. She didn't even give him a chance to explain. Granted, he didn't try but he knew she wouldn't have understood.

That day, at that moment, he realized she'd lost her faith in him. Yes, she'd apologized. Yes, now, she knew what she'd done. Yes, she would probably take it back if she could but Terra knew that that faith hadn't been restored. That was why that moment had hurt so much. He knew that she would never look at him the same way again. In the back of her mind, she would always doubt him even if she didn't voice or show it.

He had always put so much weight on what she thought of him. To say that he cared what she thought of him would be an understatement and losing her respect was something that still shook him to the core if he thought about it long enough, which brought him back to his original point, he didn't like having time to think.

"Do you?" she asked, her voice penetrating his thoughts.

Terra blinked. "Do I what?"

"Think the Wayfinders worked?"

"I don't know what you wanted them to do but mine always makes me feel better. It's like a ritual. I don't know what I'd do without it. It's helped me through some really tough days but I think the ultimate effect—the one you were hoping for—is still yet to be seen."

Aqua smiled again. It meant a lot to her to see him hold his Wayfinder, to hear him say those words. It felt wonderful to hear him say that their friendship still meant that much to him. She knew he probably still had his Wayfinder _somewhere_, but to see that he still kept it on his person did her heart good.

"So when will Mickey be back?" Terra asked bluntly when his patience could take no more and journeyed to the other side of the sitting room toward the Queen and away from Aqua.

Minnie took a dainty sip of her tea. "He should be back any time now. He usually always comes home before dark."

Running a hand down his face, Terra strolled back to Aqua's side and took a seat on the divan with her.

"It's getting late…" he said lowly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

She nodded, eyes slowly gravitating to his. "I know but we can't just leave. We have to speak to him otherwise we would have come all this way for nothing…"

Terra looked as exasperated as she felt but he settled in next to her regardless, folding his arms over his sturdy chest.

Aqua hated waiting too when she knew in the back of her mind that Xehanort could have Ven at that very moment, and if Xehanort had Ven…

She couldn't think about it. She couldn't go there, not until she was _sure_ Ven was in danger. She needed to keep her head.

"A part of me wishes Mickey wouldn't get here," she admitted, to distract not only herself but the man next to her as well.

Terra's brow creased and he looked over at her is disbelief. "Why?"

"To keep him from coming here and telling us that he hasn't seen him. A part of me wants to stay here, in this fragile moment where I can still have faith that Ven is safe somewhere. I dread the certainty. I dread knowing that Ven is…"

"It'll be okay," Terra said flatly in a tone that was less than convincing yet comforting. His hand landed on her leg, patting it gently in assurance, his thumb ghosting along the sheer fabric of her black stockings.

Aqua forced herself to look at him and his mouth twitched into a brief smile. Without making the conscious decision to do so, she reached out and placed her hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Time froze, their eyes mating and for a moment, there was nothing else, just the feel of his skin and the dull glow in his eyes and the oh-so-subtle upward curve of his lips.

Terra didn't know how long they stayed like that inside that safe, warm, brittle moment where they were lost in each other's gaze but it shattered like glass when the King _finally_ entered the room.

Terra instantly shot to his feet, leaving her behind so he could address the King. Donald, Goofy and eventually Aqua followed his lead and bowed.

"Gosh, guys." Mickey chuckled and scratched the back of his head, still obviously uncomfortable with the formalities that accompanied the world of royalty. "No need to be all official…"

"Mickey, we have company," Minnie said politely. "Aqua and Terra are here looking for Ven."

"Your Majesty, have you seen him?" Aqua asked gently, trying feverishly to hide her obvious disappointment, exasperation, and pain. She could try to hide it from Mickey and the others all day long, but she knew she couldn't hide her feelings from Terra. He would see right through her as if she were made of glass.

His hand landed on her back in silent encouragement, creeping up to the junction between her neck and shoulder before applying a gentle squeeze.

It helped a little.

Mickey's posture drooped and his eyes fell. "Gee... I'm really sorry. I haven't seen him recently. He came to visit a few weeks ago, but I haven't seen him since."

Terra cursed under his breath.

"Is something wrong?" The King asked, sensing the discontent and worry that was now rolling off them in waves.

"We think that Vanitas and Xehanort might have Ven. I encountered Vanitas in the Keyblade Graveyard and when we got back home, Ven was gone. We didn't want to assume the worst so we went to Yen Sid for advice and he suggested we come see you," Aqua explained.

"We can't let Xehanort get Ven," the King declared. "We have to find him, and I'm gonna help ya."

"Oh, no, Your Majesty…that isn't necessary. We didn't come here to throw our burden on you. You have a kingdom to—"

"Ven is my friend too, Aqua," Mickey politely interrupted. "And I'm not about to turn my back on a friend when they need me."

Aqua held her head down. "You're right… I didn't think of it that way."

"We'll help too!" Donald added as Goofy instantly concurred with a heafty nod.

"Right!" Mickey exclaimed with an excitement that both Terra and Aqua envied "We'll all help look for him and we'll find him in no time even if he is with Xehanort!"

* * *

Once everyone agreed that they stood a better chance of finding Ven (and potentially stopping Xehanort) if they combined their efforts, they'd taken their discussion to the library where they considered options and discussed strategy. They rapidly made a list and map of all the worlds they were aware of and began debating on who would go where and the order in which they should visit them. Of course, Radiant Garden and the Keyblade Graveyard were the places that took priority since Ven had friends in Radiant Garden and since Xehanort frequented the Keyblade Graveyard. Everything after that, however, was a guessing game.

After they finished mapping out their trails, and concurring that Yen Sid's tower should be their rendezvous point, Terra and Aqua attempted to leave so they could begin the search. However, Mickey and Minnie both insisted that they stay overnight and leave in the morning since it was so late. Both Keyblade bearers objected and stressed that they were designed and trained to go for nights on end without sleep if necessary, which only caused Mickey and Minnie to insist that it_ wasn't_ necessary. Thus, Aqua and Terra were placed in spacious guest rooms for the night and settled for leaving first thing in the morning instead.

Despite the hours of discussions and staring at messy handmade maps, Aqua wasn't tired. All she could do was toss and turn as she normally did whenever it came time for her to sleep. She had gone without sleep for so long that even though the dreams had ceased, she still couldn't sleep. She supposed it was habit now. Her body had adapted to going without sleep for so long that she didn't really know how to sleep properly anymore.

Restlessness crept into her bones and worry settled in her gut. Her mind churned with thoughts of what could be happening to Ventus, where he could be, and what tortures he could be enduring. It was becoming more and more likely that her biggest fear was a reality; that Ventus was with Xehanort... At this point it seemed unlikely that he was simply in Radiant Garden with his friends or helping out with some trivial task somewhere. Everyone was optimistic and Aqua tried to be too, she really did, but she knew Ven and Ven wouldn't run off like this without saying something.

The situation surrounding Ven's disappearance was all she could think about and she knew that what her imagination cooked up probably wasn't too far from the horrors that were actually occurring.

With all of it filling her brain to the brim, there was no way she was going to sleep.

Accepting that sleep just wouldn't be possible, Aqua threw the silky covers back and got out of bed.

For a long time, she stared out her oversized window at the quiet courtyard. She was hoping that maybe the serene atmosphere and scenery would relax her, sooth her mind, and it did, for a while, but she still didn't feel sleepy. Now that she had gotten her mind off Ven, she assumed her restlessness_ was_ more out of habit but then her mind went right back to Ven and she was right back where she started.

Frustrated, Aqua finally left her room, not bothering to re-adorn her bell-sleeves, gloves, shoes, or leggings.

Leaving her temporary room, she entered the long hallway. She did her best to explore the corridors quietly. She didn't want to wake anyone, especially Terra. She took extreme caution when she passed Terra's door. Just because she couldn't sleep didn't mean that he didn't have to. She didn't want to trouble him or make him worry with her insomnia. There were worse things than losing the ability to sleep although she still wouldn't wish it on Terra.

The castle and everyone in it—aside from her—was asleep. The halls were quiet and dim, lit only by the bright moonlight that poured in through the towering windows.

She journeyed down every corridor, and ultimately managed to wander through the entire slumbering castle. It was actually rather quant. It wasn't_ that_ large. The castle back at The Land of Departure might not even be much smaller than this one.

Aqua walked through the massive throne room twice, strolled through the gardens three times, and eventually ended up in the library.

Perhaps reading would help. After all, her sleep aid for a long time had been Xehanort's reports. Maybe reading in general would help her find sleep or perhaps help sleep find her. Either way, at some point, she and sleep had reached a disagreement.

Unlike her (but like every other inch of the castle), the library was asleep, only the massive fireplace within it stirred, but even it lacked vigor. Even the flames seemed to be winding down and preparing to sleep. Its dying flames flickered on the pale walls as it gradually consumed the firewood beneath it.

The crackling of the fireplace was oddly soothing as she prepared to look for a book that would help her detach herself from her clingy companion, insomnia.

"_Can't sleep?"_

Aqua jumped out of her skin, Rainfell being summoned instantly, her eyes narrowed in preparation.

"Whoa! Hey! Easy… It's just me!" Terra held his hands up in surrender.

Aqua sighed and her Keyblade dispersed, her expression softening significantly. "Don't sneak up on me like that…"

"Sorry. I thought with the Keychain and all you'd sense me coming or something." He shrugged.

"Keychains don't make you psychic," she countered curtly, her lack of sleep making her a bit cranky.

"I beg to differ," he mused, walking further into the study and inspecting the discarded papers on Mickey's desk. "I knew you were awake."

"You just saw my shadow underneath your door," she countered with a smile.

"Ah ha! See? How else would you know that?"

"I know you," she stated matter-of-factly, eyes favoring the floor. "There's a difference."

"Seriously, though, can't sleep?" His royal blue eyes left the paperwork and traveled back to her.

Aqua shook her head but didn't go into detail. She didn't want him to know how bad her sleeplessness had gotten while he was away. She didn't want him to know that insomnia had become a constant companion. He had enough to worry about without her adding something so trivial to his mantle.

Realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt, her face flushed a bit. He still wore his pants but his upper body was completely bare. She wasn't used to seeing him like this anymore. There had once been a time when seeing Terra and Ven topless (and sometimes flat out nude) was commonplace but not anymore. Not to mention, Terra was _obviously _no longer a teenager and neither was she. Things were different now. They'd grown apart and there was a lot more to gawk at now…

It was impolite to stare, even if it was just Terra but Aqua couldn't keep her eyes from wandering the tan expanse of his skin that barely veiled his pronounced muscles.

On the tan shroud that created his skin, was a surge of new scars. Half of them she knew. After all, she had made some of them herself.

There was the one on his right side from the first time she conjured Blizzaga, the one on his collarbone where Ven's wooden sword had broken in half and ricocheted onto Terra, the one on his left bicep from when she lost her temper and struck him with Rainfell while he was unarmed. The list went on and on and she knew all of them down to the small, white nick on his index finger caused from the night they decided it would be fun to cook a casserole by themselves…but then there were others she knew nothing about. Suggesting (not for the first time) that this Terra was new and he had new scars, their lives had gone on without each other. They had drifted apart, the scars only proved that further and it caused her already tender heart to ache anew.

Aqua wanted to ask about them. She wanted to know how he got each and every one of them as if it would help bridge the gap between them; as if it would help her to learn who the man next to her wearing Terra's skin was…

"Braig," he said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

_Oh, no… How long have I been gawking at him!_

"What?"

Terra pointed to the straight, white mark she was staring at that rested near the back of his neck, below his ear. "The scar. Braig, a man Xehanort used to trick me, gave it to me. He wields an Arrowgun and shot the side of my neck."

Taking a step forward, she touched it and he jerked away at first, like a frightened animal that wasn't use to human contact.

Aqua's hand retracted but he quickly closed the space between them again, allowing her to touch him. It was as if he remembered who was trying to touch him and that that fact made a difference. Apparently, she did have some sliver of respect from him. It warmed her knowing that despite everything, he did treat her differently than he did most but it chilled her to the bone knowing that it could be the bond that welded them together manipulating his actions…

"And this one?" She tentatively touched the curved discoloration near his sternum, feeling his strong heartbeat thumping beneath her fingertips.

No, she didn't technically have to ask. She could just do what she did in the throne room back in The Land of Departure. She could close her eyes, follow the thick filaments that had been plunged through both of them and held them firmly together, and it would reveal how he'd gotten each of them, but she didn't want to do that. She wanted him to tell her. She didn't want to manipulate this powerful thing that had made a strange mesh out of their essences…as easy as it would be to do. She could feel it in her veins and now that she was aware of it, she could feel it growing stronger and feel herself becoming attuned to it.

"Unversed clawed me good at the Keyblade Graveyard."

"This one?" Her fingertips grazed the small slit near his spine, a bit to the right.

"The Unversed we fought in Radiant Garden."

"I didn't see you get that one…" Aqua admitted, ashamed, her blue brow furrowing in a combination of vexation and pain.

"I didn't let on and we began talking about…other things… It seemed insignificant at the time to point out a nasty injury on my back."

Aqua ran Cure over it for good measure, for ignoring the injury and not being more attentive at the time. She knew it did no good now. The tissue was long dead and past the point of salvation but it was what the gesture symbolized.

She rested her head on the back of his shoulder, her hand still absentmindedly tracing the scar that slumbered in his hide nearby. "I'm sorry."

"When are you going to stop apologizing?"

"When you stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Terra smiled in spite of himself. He liked it when she was feisty. It reminded him of how she used to be…_before_. He also reveled in feeling her cheek resting on his shoulder, the sensation of her fingertips ghosting along his old wounds. He even basked in the foreign caress of her Cure spells, the magic that was cool yet tingly against his flesh. He forgot how potent her spells were and how much stronger they were than his; how they were somehow as tender as they were powerful.

The gestures she offered were simple but he liked having her this close as foreign as the sensation was now. He had forgotten what it was like and how much he enjoyed her company. Then again, how could he not enjoy it? They had been a part of each other's lives for so long. She used to embrace him often, anytime she thought he needed it even when he didn't want it. What she was offering now wasn't an embrace but it was a close substitute.

Sighing, Aqua pulled away and wandered to the other side of the library.

Terra frowned as he watched her and felt the cold night air replace the warmth of her skin on his back.

"Xehanort has Ven, doesn't he?" she whispered, shattering his temporary contentment into coarse, jagged pieces.

Terra tensed. "We don't know that for sure. We still have to check Radiant Garden. He could just be staying with his friends there."

"He would have told the Master. He always lets us know if he is going to be gone overnight. He wouldn't just run off like that unless something was wrong."

"Maybe he's back home now. We have no way of knowing but we need to ask around just in case because if Xehanort does have him, we'll need a clue as to where Xehanort is. If Lea and Isa don't know anything…I know of a few places we could go…"

"Xehanort's old stalking grounds?" Aqua scoffed, folding her arms over her chest and looking away.

"Yeah…"

She sighed. "Maybe we can finally make some use of all that time you spent with Xehanort…"

Terra had never seen Aqua display such contempt for another person before. Since they had been reunited, he'd noticed that she _never _called him _Master_ Xehanort. It was always just Xehanort. Aqua was purposely avoiding paying homage to him in any fashion, which was strange for her because she was always so respectful to everyone. In fact, he always thought she was incapable of_ truly_ disliking someone…that was until now. Aqua might even hate Xehanort but he couldn't really blame her.

He started to counter her scorn but decided to hold his tongue. He had nothing to say to that anyway. She had a point and if he said anything about it, it would probably upset her further. Xehanort was a touchy subject, one that would probably always drive a wedge between them. Honestly, at that moment, he wasn't sure if they could agree on anything outside of Ventus anymore.

The mage walked over to the golden bookshelves and inspected the contents for a long time before removing a worn book and taking a seat on the sleek floor.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I was going to read and see if it would help me sleep," she replied without looking at him.

Briefly, he wondered if she couldn't stand the sight of him upon being reminded of his past relationship with Xehanort. The resentment she held for Xehanort probably overflowed and spilled onto him from time to time. Now likely being one of those times.

"You can go back to bed, Terra. I'll be fine."

He stood there awkwardly for a moment and contemplated going back to bed, but it felt wrong. Yes, she would _technically_ be fine, but the thought of leaving her there alone in the middle of the night just didn't sit right with him. Whether it was because of the Keychain that slumbered beneath the tissue of their hearts or because of the old sentiments he held for her as a result of their old friendship, he didn't know. However, he _did_ know he couldn't in all good conscious leave her. He wouldn't sleep a wink if he did.

Resolve running thick in his veins, Terra took a seat next to her.

Aqua tensed and glanced over her shoulder at him, confusion written all over her face as her eyes left the ink on the book's musty pages.

"What're you reading?" he asked before she could insist he go to bed.

"Nothing special. Just an old book."

"What's it about?" Terra snatched the book out of her hands and inspected the cover.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to tease me?"

He gave a wolfish grin. "It's a love story, isn't it?"

The Keyblade Master glared at him.

"Relax. I'm not going to tease you." Terra handed the book back to her.

"Just go ahead and tell me how much of a girl I am and get it out of your system before you burst." Aqua was smiling again. She'd smiled more with him in one day than she had in a week on her own.

"Nope. I've come to terms with you being a girl."

"Liar." She nudged his shoulder with hers but he continued to lean against her, his head practically on hers.

"Old habits die hard," he whispered.

Aqua blushed, feeling his breath rolling down her cheek to the junction of her neck.

"But seriously, what's the book about?"

"It's a tragic love story. It's one of my favorites."

"Is this the one you always read back home? It was the bluish-purple one with the old house on it, right? I'd catch you reading it a lot and you'd hide it because you didn't want me teasing you."

"That's the one." She was shocked he remembered.

"I didn't recognize it. This copy looks different." Terra yawned, positioning himself against her, getting comfortable and conforming around her.

Aqua obliged and did the same and began reading quietly to herself as he grappled with sleep at her side.

She began focusing on the rhythm of his breathing instead of the book. Her senses were somehow heightened, perhaps it was simply because he was so close. She could feel his breath, his body's subtle movements that accompanied his breathing. She could hear it slow but it remained powerful, like him.

Her eyes closed and she leaned closer to him, following the rhythm of his breathing and soon hers began to match it. Her muscles loosened and the grip she had on the book faltered. She felt herself slipping. The book fell from her hands and her head fell onto Terra's shoulder.

* * *

Aqua woke completely unaware of when she'd fallen asleep. It had come so suddenly, so abruptly. She had been reading next to Terra and before she knew it, she was asleep. It was so strange falling asleep in such a way that she hardly recognized it. She began to wonder if Terra or the book had lulled her to sleep. A large part of her thought it was Terra considering she'd slept rather well the night she was with him in his hotel room in Traverse Town after her fight with Vanitas. Yes, she'd slept well but she just thought she simply passed out as a result of substantial blood loss. Now she was thinking Terra could actually be her sleep aid.

Apparently, at some point in the night, they had collapsed on the floor near Pluto's bed. Terra was flat on his back, one arm behind his head and the other outstretched at his side, the latter underneath a head of blue, being used as a pillow. The young woman was on her side, one hand tucked daintily under her head, the other resting on the inside of his arm, her back facing Terra.

Although she wasn't _that_ close to him, she could still feel the warmth radiating off him and it was like he'd cast Sleep on her. She knew it was morning, she knew she should get up but she was so at peace in that deceivingly blissful moment that she couldn't bring herself to. Worry tickled at the back of her mind, concerns for Ventus rumbled silently in her ears but nothing could penetrate the barrier that had formed around them during the night.

His skin was soft and warm against her cheek and her fingers curled on the tender flesh hiding beneath his forearm. Her head was perfectly nestled in the crook of his extended elbow and she wondered how she had ever found comfort on such a strange surface.

Terra's mouth was agape and he was lightly snoring, sleeping much like the rocks he commanded. However, the snoring was so faint it hadn't disturbed her.

Terra's snoring didn't disturb her, but the rustling occurring near her face did.

Aqua swatted the rough texture away only to have it return. Grimacing, she opened her eyes to see several walking brooms inhabiting the room with them. Their wooden hands were full of buckets of water as they attempted to clean the space, a feat she and Terra were likely making more challenging.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Aqua sat upright, eyelids heavy, clothes wrinkled, and hair askew.

The brooms didn't respond but she doubted they were able to.

"_Good morning."_

Aqua turned to see the Queen looking right at them, hands laced at her waist with a warm smile on her face.

"If I knew you two wanted to stay in here, I would have had the servants bring you blankets and pillows." Minnie giggled in her gloved hands.

"We didn't mean to fall asleep in here. We were in here reading a book and I guess we passed out at some point. I apologize for our rudeness, Your Grace. We meant no disrespect. The rooms were lovely."

"No need to explain. I just feel bad that you two had to spend the whole night on that cold, dreadful floor…"

Aqua smiled. "No, it's fine. We're used to sleeping in strange environments."

Minnie took a few steps forward to inspect the young man who was still asleep next to Aqua. "Terra certainly doesn't seem to mind."

Aqua glanced over her shoulder at her partner to see that he had not heard a word that had been said. He was still fast asleep and utterly clueless. A smile she had no chance of fighting consumed her face.

"He's always been like that. He can sleep through just about anything."

The Keyblade Master could still remember wrestling with him when they were younger and attempting to get him out of bed before he got in trouble for being tardy. He would either ignore her, throw a pillow over his head and mumble, or wouldn't hear her at all. Sometimes she would resort to using magic to wake him. A touch of Blizzard on his back always worked wonders but would earn her a scowl and sometimes he would even counter with Fire, causing them to succumb to a playful fight that would ultimately cause _both _of them to be late, arriving in the throne room disheveled and smelling of magic.

Pushing the memories aside, Aqua patted his chest, her smile still firmly plastered to her face. She forgot how amusing it was to watch him sleep. A warmth she didn't understand stirred inside her, tickling at her insides and wriggling up to her sternum…

Terra groaned and shifted, curling the arm she had been using as a pillow not too long ago around her middle, attempting to use her as an oversized stuffed animal.

Aqua stiffened, completely taken back by his reaction. He had _never _responded to her that way before…

Gently, Aqua shook the thick arm that was attempting to wind around her waist. "T-Terra. It's time to get up. We've overslept."

Yawning, Terra rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Oh, I'm not sure of the exact time but I came to inform you that we have brunch ready for both of you in the dining hall," the Queen replied and the sound of her voice caused Terra to shoot up.

"Your Majesty?" he practically squeaked, mortified.

Minnie smiled. "Good Morning, Terra. Did you sleep well?"

Terra's face turned bright red.

"What? Uh, yeah, I slept great." He stumbled to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest, attempting in vain to hide his lack of clothing from the Queen. "I'm just...gonna…go get ready for breakfast…lunch…whichever…"

Terra bolted out of the door, almost taking three mops with him as he barreled into the hallway and back to his room.

Aqua and Minnie giggled and Aqua was pleased to see that this Terra still acted a lot like the old Terra when he was embarrassed. Maybe she wasn't as disconnected from him as she thought. Maybe this Terra wasn't so different from the old Terra after all.

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! _**

**_Next time we will go to Radiant Garden to visit Lea, Isa, and Kairi! We might even get more Terra and Aqua flashbacks and maybe even...see what Xehanort is up to! DUN DUN DUN! _**

**_Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape, or form! I own nothing!

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

Just as before, Ventus preferred death over using his abilities for something he thought was wrong. Thus, making it even more challenging to determine whether or not he and Vanitas were of equal power, whether or not the χ-blade could be forged.

It was a problem.

Xehanort watched with disgust as Vanitas slung Ventus around like a rag doll effortlessly. Ventus would honorably get up again and again only to have Vanitas bludgeon him senseless once he did. Ventus didn't run but he didn't fight despite how much he wanted to sometimes, and Xehanort could see that he indeed wanted to. He could see his blue eyes narrow and his hands clench at his sides when Vanitas provoked him. He saw Ventus's fingers twitch with agitation as his muscles ached to call forth his Keyblade and retaliate, but despite this, his Keyblade had not been summoned once.

"Enough." Master Xehanort could watch no more.

Vanitas gave Ventus one final kick for good measure before dismissing his Keyblade and storming away.

Ventus held fast on the ground, lying lifelessly yet nobly on the ground in a small pool of his own blood. Slowly, the blonde young man got to all fours before leaning back on his haunches. Once there, he began running Curaga along his abundant wounds.

"This is taking longer than expected." Xehanort's fingers drummed impatiently on his biceps.

Braig sighed, looking bored.

"Ventus refuses to fight. Vanitas will kill him at this rate." Master Xehanort rubbed his eyes in vexation.

"So the kid needs a little incentive. No big deal." Braig shrugged. "Want me to go catch a bluebird?"

"No. Not yet. Terra needs to be with Aqua."

Braig looked genuinely confused.

"So what do we do? We're kind of in a pickle… The pipsqueak won't fight and the happy couple is probably on their way here as we speak. They'll figure everything out eventually and when they do, they'll come for us. They_ will_ find us and quite frankly, I don't want to be here when they do. I lost an eye the last time I fought a key slinger for you and I ain't too keen on the idea of losing another..." Braig's hand instinctively went to the long, jagged scar that raced up his face.

"I'm not opposed to Terra and Aqua finding us, what I _am_ opposed to is them finding us_ before_ we have the χ-blade. Our meeting is inevitable but premature. I need them distracted and I need my vessel ripe." Xehanort gave Ventus a brief glance. "Ventus isn't the only one who isn't prepared for his destiny. So what I need is time, time for Terra to grow attached to Aqua and time to forge the χ-blade."

"Why're you playing matchmaker all of the sudden?"

Master Xehanort grimaced and shook his head. "Have you not been listening? I've told you that_ Aqua_ has to be the last blow to Terra's resolve. Terra and Aqua are stronger than they were three years ago but they have also drifted apart. If they are separated or if she is killed now, her death will lack the impact it needs to devastate Terra the way that it needs to, perhaps even with their Keychain."

"What are you driving at, old man?" Braig tossed his Arrowgun into the air and caught it effortlessly.

"I want them to grow closer. I have to be sure. Terra has steeled himself and isn't as vulnerable or as susceptible as he was three years ago. It will take more to break him, to completely blacken his heart so that he can become my vessel and nothing blackens a heart like the desire for revenge mixed with the agony of heartbreak. Let them reconnect; let them have this Keychain. I need their bond even stronger and I need time to handle Ventus. I believe Ventus will fight back…eventually, but I can't deal with Terra and Aqua until Ventus has merged with Vanitas. So again, what I need – Braig – is time."

"Time? How do you suggest I go about giving you that? I ain't exactly a magician," Braig snorted.

"You aren't, but Vanitas is." Xehanort smirked.

"I don't follow."

"The Unversed, you fool. Vanitas will lure them away from our tracks by making new tracks with the Unversed and you, my friend, are going to help him."

"How am I gonna help? They'll probably just ignore the damn things and come after the kid anyway._ He-" _Braig pointed his Arrogun at Ventus's head "-is what they want."

"Yes, he is of the utmost importance, but I have faith in Aqua's undying sense of justice. She won't leave the innocent to suffer even if it does keep her away from Ventus. Keyblade Masters cannot take preference."

* * *

"Aqua and I will go to Radiant Garden as we planned. We'll look for clues and if nothing turns up, we'll go to Twilight Town and rendezvous with Master Yen Sid and see if he has any news from Master Eraqus," Terra said, summoning his suit of armor as Mickey led him and Aqua through the castle.

As he continued to ramble to Mickey, Aqua silently followed.

She had been unnaturally quiet since brunch. Her mood had taken a nosedive as the reality of their situation sank in yet again. She'd seemed lost in thought and a bit lost in general. She'd had no appetite. She'd played with her food and took bites occasionally to be polite, but she didn't do much else. Terra could practically feel everything weighing on her and it was affecting him as well. He could practically feel his back bowing over from the weight.

During brunch, Aqua had regained her professional air. She'd turned into the Keyblade Master again, an entity who meant business. She was determined to find Ven but that determination was destroying her because it was so personal. When she was thinking of their plan of action, she was thinking about Ven, and thinking about Ven always devastated her mood.

Mickey nodded as he led them out. "Right. We'll check the Keyblade Graveyard. If Xehanort has Ven, he'll have to return there at some point. Like Aqua said, that's the only place the χ-blade can be forged."

"Thanks for all your help," Aqua said softly. "Please, be careful."

"You too," Mickey replied with a smile and Aqua gave him a desolate one in return as she turned to exit the garden. She left so abruptly Terra had to jog to catch up with her.

"I guess I'll see you in Radiant Garden?" he called after her as she searched for a good place to mount her glider.

"Right." She summoned her armor and pulled out Rainfell. She took a deep breath and finally paused. "What if he isn't in Radiant Garden…? What then?"

"Then we stake them out at the Keyblade Graveyard like we planned."

"That place is huge. We could wander that place for days and never stumble upon them. There are so many holes and craters…plenty of places for rats to hide… It would probably be better if we found them _before_ they went there."

Terra shook his head. "What else can we do? What choice do we have? We're doing all we can."

"It's not enough. Xehanort is having his way with us again. I feel it. I feel exactly the way I did three years ago. He has us right where he wants us and he is just watching us and waiting…"

Terra paced around her, at a loss for words.

"I was in denial about it before. I underestimated him. I blew everything off and played right into his trap…just like you did. We may not be so different after all. The only difference was he had a purpose for you. The only thing he wanted out of me was my death. I was his sacrificial lamb…except I wasn't being sacrificed for the greater good. He wanted to sacrifice me to destroy you."

"I won't let him hurt you or Ven," Terra declared.

Aqua glanced back at him with sad, defeated eyes that made his heart ache. "How, Terra? You could barely save yourself—"

"Stop it," he scolded, grabbing her arms and spinning her around coarsely so he could look down at her. "I want you to stop. I know you don't trust me anymore. I'm not stupid…a bit gullible at times maybe but not stupid. I know you've lost faith in me. Hell, we've kind of lost faith in everything, but I want you to believe me when I tell you that I won't let him hurt either of you."

Aqua shifted uncomfortably under his touch, trying to remove his hold as if him touching her caused her pain. She looked away and chewed on her bottom lip, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

She gave him absolutely no reassurance and it stung. She didn't cave or comfort him as she used to. This was normally the part where she relented and gave him peace of mind but now she couldn't even give him that. She wouldn't lie. She wouldn't give him false hope even if it did make him feel better.

There was a time when she would've defended him to the ends of the World but now… Now she doubted him instead of trusting him. He'd betrayed her trust. Ven's too only he couldn't see Ven's distrust, but he could practically feel hers throbbing beneath his palms. Seeds of doubt had been planted inside of her and he knew she would probably never trust him as she once had. She'd once been a pillar of resolve when it came to him, seeing only the light inside of him and standing by him with utmost confidence but all of that shattered when she learned the truth. It tore him up inside. He hated it and hated himself for causing it. Now, instead of her faith coming first, doubt came first. She doubted him before she believed him. He'd ruined everything between them. She was different now, worn and weary.

"Let me go, please. We need to get going."

Terra wanted to say _no_. He wanted to hold onto her until she said she believed him. He wanted to squeeze that old trust she once had in him out of her again.

"Right…" His hands slipped off her shoulders and she walked away from him instantly. "I'll be…right behind you…"

* * *

Radiant Garden was lovely as always, all misty fountains, moss-covered rock walls, cozy cottages, and vibrant flowerbeds. The sky was tinted lavender, a beautiful contrast to the vibrant sea of multicolored flora below as they made their way through Radiant Garden's Castle Town.

"Where to first?" asked Terra, knowing that Aqua was in one of her take-charge moods.

"I don't know Lea and Isa all that well… I know what Ven as told me of them and I've met them in passing but I don't know where they live…"

"Well, I know even less about them so, it's your call."

Aqua folded her arms and brought one of her fists to her chin in contemplation. "We can ask around a bit, but I believe the Central Square will probably be our best bet. They might pass through at some point today."

"So we're just gonna sit there and wait?" Terra couldn't guise the fact that he wasn't too fond of this plan.

Aqua cocked her head at him. "Do you have a better idea?"

He shook his head. "No."

The Keyblade Master opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted.

"_Aqua!"_

The voice belonged to a child. Terra recognized that instantly and turned to find the source of the almost angelic voice.

There was a flash of red, white, and pink and before he could pin the multicolored blur down, it was attached to Aqua's hip.

It was indeed a little girl. She had short, red hair and was wearing a white sundress with pink and purple trim. She was young, probably not a day over seven.

"Oh," Aqua squeaked as she staggered a bit from the force.

Aqua looked alarmed at first, but when she recognized the child latching onto her, she smiled warmly and patted her head. "Hello, Kairi."

"Where have you been? It's been forever!" Kairi declared, looking up at Aqua but still holding her leg firmly.

Terra could only cross his arms and watch this unfold. Aqua apparently had some deep connection to this girl. It wasn't that surprising. This girl was bright inside, very bright; bright to the point Terra felt he couldn't look directly at her. The darkness inside him rejected that much light. It was too much but pleasant at the same time. This light was different, something special. It was _pure_ light.

His stomach rolled. A pure heart filled with light… It was a concept that had gotten him into trouble multiple times. He couldn't shake the feeling that this girl wasn't safe around him.

_What if I lose control…? No. I'm better now. I've spent the last three years getting better. I won't let it take over._

"Who's he?" Kairi asked eagerly, her blue eyes mating with his.

Instinctively, Terra tensed. He felt like this girl could see into him, like she could see his black deeds, his dark heart, his dark soul…

Following Kairi's gaze, Aqua smiled at him and the tension and unease inside him uncoiled.

Aqua… Aqua tethered him to sanity. Somehow, he knew she wouldn't let him do anything he shouldn't. She could protect him from himself…

"This is Terra," Aqua stated warmly, a hint of affection in her tone that made Terra's chest swell.

Kairi beamed at him. "The one from your stories? The one you grew up with?"

"Mm," the older girl replied and for a split second, Terra thought he saw her cheeks going rosy.

The redhead simpered. "Is he your boyfriend? Is he the reason you've been away for so long?"

Aqua paled and Terra began coughing as if he was choking on something.

"No. No, but he is my oldest friend," she replied coolly.

Kairi's blue eyes squinted at Terra. "Are you sure he isn't your boyfriend?"

Aqua nodded. "I'm sure." Her eyes darted to him. "Terra, this is Kairi."

The redhead beamed again, this time at him, and waved enthusiastically but Terra could still tell she was only somewhat pacified with Aqua's_ 'boyfriend'_ response.

"Hi." Terra unfolded his arms and gave a curt wave.

"It's nice to meet you." Kairi quickly looked back at Aqua, tugging on her sash to retrieve her attention. "How long are you staying?"

Aqua knelt down so she could be eye level with the redhead. "Not too long. I'm just here looking for Ven. Have you seen him?"

Kairi frowned and shook her head. "I haven't. I'm sorry… The last time I saw him was when he came here with you."

Aqua nodded, not looking at all surprised by this news. She seemed to be growing more and more accustomed to bad news, specifically bad news regarding Ven. She was coming to terms with the fact that Ven was with Xehanort.

"Maybe you can still help me. I'm also looking for two of Ven's friends. They are about my age. Their names are Isa and Lea. Do you know them?"

Kairi blinked a few times as she mulled it over.

"One is tall and skinny? Spiky red hair? Green eyes?" Aqua rambled, desperate, grasping at straws.

After thinking for another moment, Kairi reluctantly shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Aqua smiled and placed a hand on her cheek. "Don't apologize. You tried. That's what counts."

The young girl gave a nod as Aqua got back to her feet.

"So, you aren't staying long?"

"Not this time. I'm sorry."

Kairi deflated a little but not much. "But you'll come back soon? When you aren't busy?"

"Of course." Aqua smiled again. It was very obvious to Terra that this girl made her happy.

"And you can bring Terra back with you," she added.

"Well… I suppose… If he wants to come along, that is." Aqua gave him a quick glance.

Terra shrugged. "Fine with me."

Kairi's eyes darted back and forth between Aqua and Terra before her mouth contorted into a suspicious smirk. "Are you _sure_ he isn't your boyfriend?"

"Yes," Aqua reiterated, her tone exasperated and a touch embarrassed. "Now run along. I'm sure your grandmother is out looking for you."

Kairi sighed, displeased but did as she was told after giving Aqua another quick embrace.

"It was nice meeting you, Terra," Kairi said and before he had a chance to react, she crashed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Terra tensed and held his arms away from her in shock. "Uh, you too…"

Aqua giggled, hiding her amusement behind her hand.

Gathering his courage and his scattered wits, Terra managed to reciprocate by patting the top of her red head. The action seemed to placate her and she pulled away almost instantly.

"Bye!" she called and with that, she was off, pausing only so she could turn around and wave again.

A warm, genuine smile blossomed across Aqua's face as she waved as well.

"She's one of them," Terra stated matter-of-factly, his dark eyes following Kairi as she scurried off toward the Fountain Court.

"Hmm?"

"One of the pure hearts Xehanort was looking for."

"I know. She's special. I met her three years ago. I saved her from some Unversed... You know the last time we were all here together…" Aqua shifted from foot to foot and rubbed one of her arms, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"Right." Terra nodded.

"Ven and I would come back here occasionally and I continued to visit her. I would make sure she was safe, and well, she's kind of… grown on me. I just… I feel like it's my job to protect her and after I realized that her heart was pure light, I made it a point to come check on her. We aren't the only ones Xehanort has an eye on, you know?"

"Do you think they are his backup plan? In case Ven and I don't work out?"

Aqua frowned. "I don't know and I'd rather not find out."

* * *

They made their way to the Central Square of Radiant Garden and prepared to wait for Lea and Isa to hopefully pass through at some point.

Aqua took a seat beneath one of the small trees surrounding the square, her legs folded atop the lush, green grass. She sat there quietly, trying to enjoy the scenery and the serenity that accompanied this world while her counterpart paced around and asked anyone and everyone for leads on Lea and Isa's whereabouts.

Terra continually floated in and out of the Central Square. Aqua was quite sure that he had wandered the entire township at least three times.

When he reentered the square for the fourth time, he surrendered and propped himself up against the wall of the cottage adjacent to her.

"Any luck?" she asked even though she could tell by his posture that he hadn't found anything or anyone.

"Leave it to Ven to befriend two of the most illusive people in Radiant Garden. Almost everyone knows them but they don't know where they are."

"They'll turn up eventually. We just have to be patient."

"I know but we've been doing way too much waiting lately," Terra groused, casting his gaze to the sky.

"I agree but we have no control over it. It's just something we have to do… for Ven." Aqua's eyes fell. "But make no mistake, I hate this too."

It grew quiet again, the only sounds resonating around them being the hiss of spewing fountains, the chirping of birds, and the occasional giggle of children.

Aqua admired and envied their innocence, their obliviousness. They didn't have a care in the world. She could barely remember what that even felt like now. It had been so long since she'd felt that kind of joy. It was only a memory, a sweet taste slowly fading on the back of her tongue.

Sighing, Aqua reached into her pocket and held her Wayfinder. She didn't pull it out. She just need to feel the smooth, soothing texture, she just needed its comfort.

Feeling eyes on her, she glanced over at Terra. He looked away instantly, casually.

_Did I just catch him staring? Was he… staring at me?_

Briefly, Aqua contemplated addressing him but before she had the chance, a flicker of red on the other side of the Central Square caught her attention.

"Lea?" she squeaked as she pried her back off the tree and leaned forward.

"What?" Terra inquired and took a few curious steps toward her. "What is it?"

Gracefully, Aqua leapt from the ledge and sprinted across the square. She was so caught up in reaching the young man that all courtesy and tact left her. In her desperation and urgency, she forgot to answer Terra or even wait on him.

"Lea?" she called again once she was close enough to the boy in question.

He was a bit taller than she remembered and his hair was longer but she was quite sure this was the one she was looking for, and seeing the blue-haired, green-eyed young man next to him only confirmed her suspicions.

Both were a bit more mature than she remembered, their hair longer and their clothes a bit different, but this was the duo.

The redhead's brow rose as he turned to address her. "Yeah?"

His green eyes wandered her form for a moment before something almost audibly clicked inside his head. "Oh, Aqua, right? Ven's friend?"

The Keyblade Master gave a nod. "Right. Actually, I'm looking for him. Have you seen him?"

Lea shook his head. "No. I haven't. Why?"

"He's kind of missing. I haven't seen or heard from him in days and I'm starting to get worried. You know Ven. You know he wouldn't run off without saying anything."

"True," Lea concurred, bobbing his head in subtle agreement.

"Yeah. Running off without saying anything is much more your style," Isa interjected with a playful eye roll.

Lea's eyes narrowed. "Your point?"

"Isa, have you seen Ven?" Aqua politely interrupted before a healthy debate broke out between the two. Normally, she wouldn't mind watching such events unfold but she regretfully had no time to spare.

Isa blinked a few times. "Not recently."

"Oh…" Aqua shrank at least two sizes.

Lea quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whoa. Hey. We'll—We'll keep an eye out for him though! And if we see him, we'll let him know you're looking for him. 'Kay? Just don't frown like that anymore. You're makin' me feel bad…"

She forced a meek smile. "Sorry."

"Ven isn't in any trouble, is he?" Lea inquired, his tone going serious, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I hope not but it isn't looking good." Aqua looked down and away.

"Is…there anything we can do?" Isa asked softly, hesitantly.

She sighed. "Just…keep an eye out for him and if you see him, will you tell him that I'm looking for him and that he needs to go home?"

"Yeah. Sure thing," Lea replied, grinning a bit.

"Thank you," Aqua said lowly as she turned on her heel and made her way back across the square to Terra, her head low and posture screaming of defeat.

Terra's hand was on her shoulder instantly but she couldn't will herself to look up at him.

"What did they say?"

Aqua shook her head. "Nothing. They haven't seen him."

His hand gave her shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze but it did little for her feelings at the moment. It did help a little, however. In fact, she wasn't sure what she would do if Terra weren't with her now. This would feel so much worse if he weren't there.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked courteously.

"I suppose we should go speak with Master Yen Sid and inform him of the situation and see if he has heard anything from the King and the others."

"Agreed, but before we leave, there's one more place I want to check."

* * *

A bit reluctantly, Aqua had complied with Terra's wishes and followed him to this unknown destination.

He led her through the Entryway and into the vast, spacious Outer Gardens.

The Outer Gardens were beautiful, full of flowerbeds not unlike those in the Center Square. One could see the distant mountain ranges surrounding the township and most of the fountains in Radiant Garden from there. The jagged cobblestone was lavender, pale blue, and pink with a few splotches of green here and there.

There were so many fountains and waterways surrounding this area of Radiant Garden that the hissing of spurting water was almost all that could be heard.

Her companion approached the strange structure in the center of the area and she was suddenly even more suspicious of where he was taking her.

The center structure almost looked like a fountain but not quite. It also looked a bit like a monument but a small pool of water surrounded, a pool that Terra fearlessly stepped into.

"What are you—?"

Before she could finish her question, Terra was going _into _the stone structure. He climbed a few steps that laid beyond the pool of water and into a subtle doorway.

Aqua's eyes narrowed at him. She started to ask how he knew that was an accessible door but she had a nasty, gnawing feeling she didn't want to know.

They entered a long, rust-colored tunnel that led them into the Purification Facility. It was a huge underground water system full of huge, tawny pipes and lots and lots of water that cascaded down from the ceiling in long, rounded torrents.

In the center of it all was a circular platform, which was where she assumed they were headed.

The stairwells led down and down and the closer they got to the platform, the more she began to smell something faint, familiar…and foul. She began picking up on it the moment they entered but the further she followed Terra down into the chamber, the stronger a grim scent became.

All at once, it hit her. She knew the smell and she knew it well but it had been clouded, disguised, and diluted by all the abundance of water within the Purification Facility but once it hit her, she was overcome by it.

_Darkness…_

Aqua's hand covered her nose and mouth. "They were here…"

"You sense it too?"

"I…_smell_ it…"

That was the difference between them. Terra sensed the power in this lingering darkness where Aqua sensed the danger, the odor.

They reached the end of the line, the circular platform, but nothing was there besides the smell.

Frantic for answers, Aqua's eyes began wandering the space. There were dents in the metal flooring as well as the railing that surrounded it. There were lacerations in the metal too, like someone had raked a sword (or Keyblade) along it or stabbed one into it. Some kind of struggle had taken place here.

Realization hit hard, causing Aqua fell to her knees. "We're too late…"

Ven had been here. Xehanort had been here and Vanitas had been here too. She sensed each of them but they were gone now. If they had only come a little sooner… Ven was here… His blood was still on the ground, still fresh… They had been so close… They could have saved him if they only-

"They haven't been gone long," Terra's voice resonated clearly, forcing her out of her spiraling thoughts. "Maybe we can—"

Aqua shook her head. "They knew we were coming."

"Maybe they went to the Keyblade Graveyard. Maybe they left to try to forge the χ-blade. If that's the case, then Mickey and the others will be there."

She looked down at the blood splattered on the metal ground around her. Touching it, she sensed that it was indeed Ven's.

"No. He's training him…"

Terra's brow knitted with confusion. "Huh?"

"Ven and Vanitas have to be of equal power to forge the χ-blade. That was why he tried to lead Ven away from home last time, so he could fight the Unversed and become stronger. I bet he was doing something similar here. Vanitas must still be stronger than him." Aqua wrapped her arms around herself to repress the pain that racked her body.

Terra knelt in front of her and gripped her shoulders. "It's gonna be okay. We'll find him and we'll find him before Xehanort can take him to the Keyblade Graveyard, just like we planned. Okay? If you're right, then Ven isn't ready and Xehanort can't make the Keyblade yet. He probably just relocated. We still have time. We can go to Master Yen Sid like we planned and—"

"I want to leave…" Aqua looked like she might cry. "I can't stay here…where they've…where he…"

Terra nodded. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care as long as it isn't here. I just… I just need a minute to process all this…to think…before we do anything else…"

"Right. Come on." Terra took hold of her and gingerly helped her back to her feet. "We'll go somewhere quiet to regroup."

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **_

_**Not too much Terqua action going on this time but this story does have a plot and sometimes, plot comes first. However, I'll try to make it up to you guys in Chapter 8! **_

**_Next time, we'll get a flashback to when Terra and Aqua first met and maybe get a little bit of fluff thrown in! _****_And who wants to see Hayner, Pence, Olette, the WHOLE Twilight Town gang (even Seifer's crew) as children?! Go on, admit it. You know you do! And now I'm rambling..._**

**_Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape, or form. I own NOTHING!

* * *

**_Chapter 8_**

* * *

They ended up at the Castle of Dreams, not to the castle itself but to the dark woods that lay beyond it where they could hopefully find some fragment of peace.

Aqua didn't know where Terra was now. He was nearby she supposed. Shortly after they arrived, she'd wandered to the large fountain nearby and plopped down beside it without giving anything a second glance.

Tears fell down her cheeks silently. She didn't sob or divulge to anyone but herself that she was crying.

Her hand raked across the water of the fountain before her as she repeatedly yet silently berated herself and thought of all the horrible things that could be happening to Ven at that very moment, things she was helpless to stop. She didn't know where he was. She couldn't find him any more than she could find Xehanort. The monster had successfully avoided her for three years. He was always one step ahead…

"Hey," Terra whispered, very unsure and apprehensive as he approached.

"Hi," she replied vacantly, her eyes not leaving the sparkling water she teased with her fingertips.

"It's gonna be okay. We'll find him. We'll—" He paused, seeing the quiet tears on her face. The pale light of the moon was casting just enough light upon her to reveal the shimmering streaks the tears left behind on her cheeks.

"No, Aqua, don't cry…" He'd always hated seeing her cry. She didn't do so often, but when she did, it broke his heart. "You need to be strong. Ven wouldn't want to you cry."

"I can't help it," she whispered. "I feel so helpless. He needs me and I can't…"

Before he knew what he was doing, he'd taken hold of her, pulled her off the fountain's edge and into his arms. She tensed at first when she felt his unwelcomed encasement but quickly conformed to it. Her hands gripped his shirt and she buried her face in his chest. He rested his head on hers and tried to be the rock and support she needed at that vulnerable moment. He knew she didn't _technically_ need him. Aqua was often if not always content on her own. He could have stood back and waited for her to support herself but he couldn't keep himself from trying to be what she needed even if she didn't truly need him.

She reveled in his warmth, in having him this close. It was rather uncharacteristic of her but who was she to turn away the comfort he offered, especially when it helped the throbbing ache in her soul.

He held her like that for a long time, just listening to the rhythm of her breathing against his chest and the quiet call of the crickets that watched them nearby.

Finally lifting his head from hers, he looked to the horizon and saw the magnificent, glowing castle in the distance. It was a glorious view, a palace bathed in luminous white within a world blanketed in night. He wondered if Cinderella lived there now with her prince. Had she gotten her dream?

The thought of dreams caused Terra to twitch and look down at the woman in his arms.

"So what's your new dream?" he asked gently and Aqua recoiled a bit.

He had asked her that question once before…the last time they were here together, but it had been so long since she'd thought about dreams…the other kind – the kind that didn't torture her while she slept – that she had to think for a moment.

"I was just wondering. You know, since you're a Keyblade Master now, I just wondered what your new dream was. We used to have the same dream but since you accomplished yours… I guess, I guess I was just curious as to what happens after you obtain your dream."

Aqua wanted to tell him something hopeful, something meaningful but all she could think of was gloomy, dismal replies. Obtaining her dream was nothing like she thought it would be. Once she obtained her dream, the nightmares began…

"Well…um, it's silly." She shied away from him although his hands lingered on her as if they were hoping she would return to him.

"I assume it involves you being a girl." He chuckled although she clearly wasn't a girl anymore. Aqua was a young woman. A pretty, voluptuous woman…

_Focus, Terra! Get your mind out of the gutter!_

"Kind of." She blushed.

"Oh," he replied softly. He hadn't expected her to comply. She wasn't as defensive as she used to be about certain things. She had always been mature but she definitely was now. It was a new level of maturity or perhaps wisdom would be the more appropriate word.

Admittedly, Aqua's new_ 'dream' _was kind of embarrassing, _very _embarrassing now that she thought about it. She supposed that her ideal situation or 'dream' would be a calm life of peace, preferably with Ven and Terra. She wanted them to have students running around, playing, and growing up under her as she'd grown up with Terra under Eraqus. And the girly (yes, she would admit it, _girly_) part of her kind of wanted something with Terra. The news of their Keychain had spurred old feelings in her, feelings she'd locked away deep down in her heart for the sake of their friendship and their guild, but the bond had reignited something in her that had secretly wanted a life with him. It gave her hope that maybe they _did_ have a future together, a romantic one. So a part (a part that was much bigger than she cared to admit) of her new dream was Terra. In a way, Terra was her new dream but she wasn't about to tell him that!

'_A powerful enough dream will always be enough to light the darkness.'_ He had once said.

Without thinking, Aqua returned to his embrace and Terra obliged. She forgot how much she loved his hugs although this was a bit different. This was a bit more intimate than one of his bear hugs or one of the hugs she coaxed out of him when she felt he needed it. He was warm and firm but not too firm, just sturdy enough and his smell was earthy yet sweet like cinnamon.

She kept playing with the dark fabric of his shirt, fisting it and rubbing it between her fingers in patterns meant to soothe her. She was like a child rubbing the ear of her favorite stuffed animal and it was surprisingly effective, especially with his hand working up and down her back.

They held onto one another, but their thoughts were with Ven.

Terra found himself looking up at the sky and trying his damnedest to send his thoughts to him.

_Ven… Hang in there…_

Terra couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe all of this was happening again. His mind refused to process it even though it was now safe to assume that Ven was indeed with Xehanort. This was a nightmare. He wouldn't know what to do without his brother by bond. No, he hadn't been that close to him of late… Yes, he'd left his old life behind to try to redeem himself and learn to live with darkness swimming in his veins but he did that out of the love he had for them. It had just seemed like the right thing to do at the time…but Ven was still his brother and he could still feel how excited he'd been when he learned Ven would be staying with them, when he realized he'd finally be getting a foster-brother opposed to the time he thought he would get one and didn't…

"_Hurry up, Master!" Terra cried between spurts of laughter and gasps for breath._

"_Slow down, Terra. They aren't going anywhere," Master Eraqus chided as he followed his exhilarated pupil up the seemingly endless stairwell._

_Oh, but he couldn't slow down! He just couldn't. He was just too excited because Master Eraqus was taking on another student, which meant he would be getting a sparring partner, a companion, a brother._

_Terra loved his master but he was ready for another kind of interaction._

_With each step, more and more questions popped into his head. Would he be older or younger than him? Would he be left handed or right handed? Could he use magic yet? And if so, what could he cast?_

_All the questions came to an abrupt halt when they reached the final door._

"_Hold on, Terra. Don't go in yet. Wait for me."_

_Terra obeyed this time. After all, he'd never been here or met this '_old friend' _of his master's before…_

_Master Eraqus placed a gentle hand on his head, tossing his dark hair a bit before knocking on the door._

"Enter,"_ boomed a foreign voice._

_The Master did as instructed and the moment the door cracked, Terra barreled inside._

_The room was strange, full of books, bookshelves, and windows in the shapes of stars and the moon. Everything was drenched in green except for the man who was standing beside the large desk. He was in blue robes dusted with yellow stars and moons similar to those surrounding him in the room. He had wise eyes and had a _**long** _gray beard. This was the other master, the sorcerer but this wasn't who he longed to see as interesting as he was._

_Terra's royal blue eyes darted around the room in a frenzy but no one else was here…_

_Master Eraqus and the man by the name of Yen Sid kept exchanging formalities as Terra ripped the room apart with his eyes in search of the student they had come to retrieve. He saw no sign of anyone except for the drawings on a nearby chalkboard. They had been there at some point. The drawings looked relatively new and very child like, which led Terra to believe his new friend would be younger than him, but only by a little._

_Terribly impatient, Terra tugged at the hem of his master's white robe._

_The Master ignored him; merely chastising him for interrupting with a stern wave of his hand but Terra was particularly impatient today._

_He tugged again. "Master… Where is he?"_

"_Not now, Terra. Master Yen Sid and I are speaking."_

"_Yes, but—"_

"_It's alright, Eraqus." The sorcerer beamed. "He's just excited. I'm sure he wants to met your new pupil."_

_Yen Sid took a few steps towards a set of dual doors across the room. "This way."_

_Terra smiled and scurried to the doors with Yen Sid._

"_How is he?" Eraqus asked. "He hasn't been too much trouble?"_

_Master Yen Sid opened the doors and Terra weaved past him and the door so he would enter the room first, but what he saw hit him like a ton of bricks._

"_Not at all._ **She **_has been a delight," Master Yen Sid said with a low chuckle._

_Terra couldn't believe it. The kid inside wasn't a boy. He wasn't getting a brother… He was getting a _**sister**_._

_She was…blue. Her little sundress was white but she was definitely blue and she looked a bit taken back by his rambunctious entry._

_His throat was dry and his joints were stiff. When his eyes met hers, it felt like someone had slapped him. Her baby blue eyes were wide but not nearly as wide as his._

_Swallowing hard, Terra finally mustered the courage to smile instead of gawk at her although he made no conscious decision to do so. He smiled at her and her features softened then contorted into a warm, radiant smile._

**Light…**

_The warmth was contagious and it pooled in his belly, leaving him feeling full and content as if he had just finished a thick, rich meal of all his favorite foods._

"_Her name is Aqua and she has been blessed with the gift of magic. She is a mage."_

"_Wonderful!" Master Eraqus exclaimed. "Terra has been struggling with magic. Perhaps she can teach him a few things."_

_They continued to discuss her but Terra had suddenly gone deaf, that small, goofy grin still plastered to his face as they continued to stare at one another as if they were the only people in the World._

"_Aqua." Master Yen Sid approached her, breaking the spell and causing her eyes to finally rip away from Terra's. "This is Master Eraqus."_

_Terra shook his head, trying to get a hold of himself and regain his suddenly frayed senses._

"_It's nice to meet you," she replied sweetly, her voice smooth and velvety like fine silk._

It would be years before he finally got his brother…only to lose him again in the end.

No. No, he wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't lose him or…

Terra instinctively looked down at the blue girl still safely tucked away in his arms.

_Aqua…_

No, he wouldn't let anything happen to her either.

She'd been an unwanted surprise, all those years ago but he wouldn't trade her for the World now.

Tightening his arms around her and resting his cheek atop her head, he vowed then and there that he wouldn't let Xehanort win. He wouldn't let him use Ven to make this χ-blade and he wouldn't let him kill Aqua. He _wouldn't_.

Eventually (and a bit reluctantly), Aqua pulled away from him, leaving them both feeling empty and cold.

"Better?" he asked, his hands lingering on her shoulders in case she decided she wasn't.

Smiling, Aqua nodded.

"_Well, well, well."_

The foreign yet somehow familiar voice jolted them into action, causing them to clumsily separate and leap to their feet.

In the distance on the other side of the woodland was Braig. Terra would recognize him anywhere and he looked almost exactly the same until he got closer to them. Upon further inspection, Terra saw that Braig now had some gray hairs mingling in his mane of black, an eye-patch over his right eye, and a nasty scar racing up his left jaw and onto his cheek.

Terra couldn't keep himself from smirking inwardly at the sight of the scars. He was pleased with the outcome but disappointed knowing that Braig got those scars because he'd succumbed to using his dark powers in order to give them to him…

"If it isn't my favorite keyslingers: Terra and…uh," Braig trailed off as he inspected the blue girl at Terra's side.

"Aqua," she snapped, eyes narrowed.

"Right! How could I forget! Although, I don't think we've been properly introduced." Braig raised his fist and dramatically cleared his throat into his hand. "I'm Braig."

Braig? This was the man Terra told her about, the man who Xehanort used to help him manipulate Terra. If that was the case then that meant-

"Pardon me for interrupting such a _touching _moment but I wanted to ask you guys a question before I took off. You two haven't seen any Unversed wandering around here, have ya? Ya see I'm kinda lookin' for someone…"

"Still doing Xehanort's bidding?" Terra stated more than asked.

Braig smirked. "Yes and no but hey, I'm not here to pick a fight. You and I both know how our last brawl ended. I'm not strong enough to take one of you mano a mano, much less_ two_!"

"What do you want?" Aqua demanded, her patience wearing thin.

"I already told you. Weren't you listening? For a Keyblade Master, you're not very – what's the word? – polite."

"Where's Ventus?" Terra growled.

"Who?" Braig rapidly held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Ven. Xehanort's former pupil," Aqua replied curtly.

Braig scoffed. "Never heard of 'im."

That was almost enough for Aqua to slice him open right then and there. How dare he play them for fools!

"Don't play dumb!" she summoned Rainfell and pointed it right at his chest.

"Whoa, hey! Don't get all pushy! The old coot never tells me anything! I'm merely a lowly henchman. Vanitas probably knows more than I do. Speakin' of, have you two seen him around?"

"I haven't seen him since he sliced my stomach open," Aqua replied dryly.

"Gee, that's a bummer. I was hoping that you two could help me out. I thought _surely_ you two would have tracked him down by now, especially with him leaving that trail of Unversed around. Did you two know that kid leaves a trail of Unversed wherever he goes? I guess not since you two haven't used them to track him down. Oh, well." He shrugged a shoulder.

"No more games, Braig. Where's Xehanort?" Terra had had enough. He was seconds away from losing his temper to the darkness that slept in his veins.

"Have either of you ever spent time with Vanitas?" The lackey continued, blatantly ignoring the question. "He can be a real pill. He is ten different kinds of difficult. Hell, the reason I'm out here on a wild goose chase now is because he threw a temper tantrum and ran off. I suggested that we just forget him but the old coot insists he's important." Braig's remaining eye rolled.

"I know you know where he is!" Terra could feel his control slipping, that control he had worked so hard to obtain. The control he vowed to never lose again in order to keep from shaming his master and his friends ever again. It was slipping and slipping fast. This situation was truly a test of his will and he was already failing.

"Well, since you two don't know where Vanitas is, I guess I better start looking again. Xehanort won't be happy if I'm not able to—"

Before Braig could register anything, Terra had grabbed him by the collar and slung him into the nearest tree trunk.

"Where. Is. Xehanort," Terra snarled between clinched teeth. Something in him had almost audibly snapped and he was suddenly out of his skull, everything outside of locating Ven and Xehanort leaving quickly and abruptly. Sinking, sinking down, down, down into that dark pit that still pulsed with life inside his heart… No matter how much time passed, no matter how hard he tried to control it, sometimes it still ended up controlling him.

Braig coughed and squirmed against the tree's rugged bark. "Oh, he's around here somewhere…"

Terra was shaking with thinly veiled rage. "I mean it, Braig! Tell me where he is!"

The sharp shooter laughed nervously between ragged gasps for breath. "Yeah, but you don't actually expect me to tell you, do you? As if!"

Darkness began to manifest on Terra's knuckles. Sensing it and seeing it, Aqua rushed forward and placed a hand on his arm.

"Terra," she whispered, sounding apprehensive and uncertain because she was. She wasn't sure how much control Terra did or didn't have. "Let him go."

His eyes widened and he glared over his shoulder at her, his anger suddenly directed at her. "Let him go?! Do you hear what you're saying, Aqua? Are you out of your mind? This is our shot to find Ven and you want me to _let him go?!"_

Terra was seething. She had unintentionally made things worse. Keychain or no, she didn't know how to handle this particular situation. Sure, she'd seen Terra lose his temper many times but she'd never seen it like this. She'd never seen his darkness. Not really. She'd never seen him succumb to it, channel it. She'd never seen his temper fueled by darkness. This was yet another one of Xehanort's gifts to Terra. Terra never acted like this before Xehanort began manipulating him, before their world fell apart…

"Yes," she replied gently and she didn't know whom her response shocked more, Braig or Terra.

Aqua took another step forward and flattened her hand against Terra's throbbing bicep. "Terra, this isn't the way to find Ven. Even if Braig does know where Ven and Xehanort are, he'll die before telling us and I'm not about to stand here and let you kill him for nothing…as tempting as that is."

The darkness began to fade but Terra's hands were still shaking. However, now his hands shook with confliction instead of rage.

"But…" he hissed between clenched teeth, his hands fisting the red fabric of Braig's bandana so tightly his steaming knuckles blanched.

Terra knew she had a point. He knew she was right to a fault but it seemed _stupid _to let him go! This was their chance! Braig could take them to Xehanort! And if they found Xehanort they would find Ven and they could put an end to all this.

"Terra," she breathed and just the sound of her voice was calming although a part of him still wanted nothing more than to hold onto that rage burning under his skin. "Trust me, please…"

His midnight blue eyes looked back at her again but this time they weren't hard with fury, they were soft yet reluctant.

With a deep, shaky breath, Terra released Braig and dropped him to the forest floor with a _'thud' _and a puff of dirt.

"Go," he commanded darkly, "before I change my mind and decide that I want to make both sides of your face match."

Braig stumbled on the ground, coughing and laughing breathlessly. "You know, I may have been wrong about you, bluebird."

Aqua didn't humor him with a response. She could only hold onto Terra's arm as both a precaution and as a form of silent gratitude. For some reason, she was under the foolish assumption that holding onto Terra would somehow quell his temper; that physically touching him would tether him to sanity and keep the darkness at bay.

Realizing that he should quit while he was ahead, Braig dashed off into the woods.

"Why?" Terra said lowly without looking at her. "What good will letting him live possibly do?"

"What good would killing him do?" she countered and Terra recoiled.

Silence.

Eventually, Terra looked down at his hands as if they weren't his, as if he hadn't been the one who hurled Braig against the tree, as if he hadn't been the one with darkness leaking off his skin. Was he even conscious of what he'd done?

"It's okay," she whispered, tightening her hold on his arm, almost hugging it to her form.

He gazed over at her in shock, wide-eyed as if he forgot she was there but those were two of the most beautiful words she could've said to him. They were so simple but the meaning was soul shattering. It was something he'd wanted for years, something he'd wanted from someone other than Xehanort, something he'd wanted three years ago when his darkness began spiraling out of control: acceptance. She didn't chastise him or judge him like she had before, instead she'd tried to understand and she'd sympathized. He couldn't put into words how good it felt for her to finally tell him that it was okay. She didn't approve. That was obvious and he knew she would never approve but she knew it was part of him. He knew she'd accepted it as a piece of him and he couldn't put how much that meant to him into words.

"…Thank you…" It was all he could get out. It was vague but he knew she would understand.

"Thanks for listening to me."

He nodded. "We… We should start moving again."

Aqua concurred but she really didn't want to let him go.

"I think it's best if we update Master Yen Sid on the situation and see if he has heard anything from the Master or the King," he continued, slowly but surely regaining his senses.

"All right," she replied, managing to muster the courage necessary to let go of his arm.

He gave her something that almost resembled a smile before hitting the bronze button on his shoulder and effectively coating himself in armor. "I'll see you there."

* * *

The journey to Twilight Town gave Aqua time to reflect on their strange encounter with Braig. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to make of it and if she thought about it enough, she wasn't sure if they'd done the right thing. She could only hope that she wouldn't regret her decision to find Ven the honorable way. Still, the encounter had been…insightful. Some information had been leaked, as was probably the intention but she had no way of knowing for sure. It wasn't like she could reference the source...

"I've been thinking about what Braig said about Vanitas," Aqua began.

It was the first time she'd spoken about the encounter since they rendezvoused in the area of Twilight Town known as the Sandlot. They had decided to go through the town instead of going directly to the Mysterious Tower so they could buy some Items and eat since neither of them could remember the last time they had a substantial meal.

"Yeah?" Terra replied without stopping his trek through the town.

"And I know he was possibly goading us and that he was intentionally saying all those things about Vanitas' connection to the Unversed to lure us into some trap…" she continued.

"...Probably." Terra had to admit that that sounded like something Xehanort would do and the encounter with Braig was just too convenient.

"So…I've been thinking... Maybe we should take the bait."

He stopped dead in his tracks, causing Aqua to almost bump into him. "That's the second craziest thing you've said to me today, Aqua."

Aqua couldn't keep her posture from drooping.

"But…it might be crazy enough to work," he added as he approached the Item Shop within the Tram Common and proceeded to order a little of everything…just in case.

"Whether it's a trick or not, Vanitas still has to be stopped, especially if he is unleashing the Unversed into other worlds again," she stated.

"Maybe we could track him like Braig said and ultimately, track him to Xehanort. He has to go back to Xehanort to help him forge the χ-blade at some point, right?"

"I suppose but we don't know how Vanitas controls these things or from what distance… And if Braig was trying to trick us – which is a lofty possibility – it could just be one big wild goose chase. We could end up tracking forever while they end up making the χ-blade anyway. If Braig wants us to use the information he leaked, then there is probably a reason he wanted us to…"

Terra sighed and locked eyes with her. "If we decide to hunt down Vanitas, that's just a risk we'll have to be willing to take."

Before Aqua could reply, their conversation was interrupted by a scream. Their eyes widened momentarily before they ran off towards the direction of the shrill sound.

They ran through the Tram Common until they finally discovered that some Unversed (some basic Floods to be exact) had cornered some kids on one of the surrounding buildings' rooftops.

Aqua didn't have time to register everything going on but there appeared to be almost six kids total, four boys and two girls, and approximately eight or nine Unversed around them. It was a recipe for disaster.

"We'll never get up there in time," Terra said between breaths.

Aqua's eyes narrowed with determination and before Terra could blink, she was holding Rainfell overhead and conjuring Firaga Burst, a massive orb of Fire. The orb grew and grew until it finally exploded, sending bursts of Firaga towards the rooftop, and ultimately, towards the Unversed.

Before the bursts of Firaga could reach the Unversed, one of the Floods lunged at a little girl with brown hair. The girl jumped back and away, avoiding the attack but losing her footing on the rooftop's edge in the process.

"Olette!" two of the boys cried as she slipped off the ledge.

"Terra!" Aqua cried, unable to stop her spell but hoping that somehow he would understand what she was trying to tell him to do.

He responded instantly, rushing towards the falling child.

"I got ya!" Terra cried as he leapt forward and caught the girl seconds before she collided with the vibrant cobblestone.

Finally, the Firaga Burst honed in on the Unversed and destroyed them and once Aqua was sure it was safe, she rushed to Terra's side.

Upon getting closer, she saw that the girl he'd caught was a brunette, clad in an orange dress with bright, yellow flowers and orange stockings pulled up to her knobby knees. She was curled up bridal style in his arms, still cringing, her small hands hiding her face in fear.

"Now you've done it," one of the older boys who was still on the roof chastised.

"Me?! You're the one who's been picking a fight with those things!" a younger one with wavy blonde hair and brown eyes snapped.

The girl in Terra's arms slowly realized she wasn't dead or about to die and peaked at him with big, green eyes from between her fingers. She was wide-eyed and shocked but grateful.

"T-Thank you," she whispered.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Aqua asked as she placed a hand on her head and quickly scanned her body for injuries.

"I-I don't think so." The girl blushed as she looked up at Terra who was obviously her new hero.

"Hey," came yet another voice. It came from a small, plump boy with black hair and jolly eyes. "Thanks for helping us out."

"No problem. Just try to be more careful." Terra gingerly placed the girl on her feet.

"What were you doing up there?" Aqua asked as the other children slowly came down from the rooftops and surrounded them.

"Well." The younger blonde kicked at the ground. "We were playing on the rooftops then Seifer and his goons showed up and started picking fights and then—"

"LIES," snapped a girl with gray hair and red eyes who was confidently standing near the older of the four boys.

"We came to tell you that you didn't need to be playing on the rooftops with these monsters around," countered the other older, blonde boy in a black tuque.

"Then those monsters actually showed up," added the plump boy with dark hair. "And, well, you saw the rest…"

Aqua and Terra exchanged glances. She really wasn't sure who or what to believe in this situation but as long as they were all okay, she supposed the minor details didn't matter.

"Regardless of who started what, please try to be more careful. If you do see any more of these monsters, stay away from them. They are very dangerous, and you should probably avoid playing rooftops too."

Aqua's tone reminded Terra so much of how she used to scold him and Ven when they did something they shouldn't. She used to chastise them in the same gentle yet effective way and he couldn't keep his mouth from twitching at the thought.

"It won't happen again," the older, sterner boy with steely green eyes said proudly. "I'll make sure of it."

Yet another muscly boy with tan skin and brown hair stepped forward confidently. "You can trust him, Miss. Seifer's the best, ya know!"

"All right… I'll be counting on you," Aqua said gently, unsure of her response.

With that, Seifer, the girl with silver hair, and the burly boy with brown hair sauntered off but not before exchanging death glares with the two younger boys, as if to say: _'This isn't over.'_

"You just encouraged a punk." Terra smirked.

"Huh?" Aqua squeaked. "I did not!"

"Did too. That Seifer kid is clearly a bully and you just gave him ammo to use later."

"Well, maybe…but I didn't encourage him!"

"Seifer doesn't have to be encouraged. He's always been like that. It's just how he is," the black-haired boy stated and Aqua instantly felt a little bit better. "My name is Pence, by the way, and this is Hayner."

The blonde boy waved. "Hiya."

"And you've already met Olette," Pence continued, eyes connecting with the orange clad brunette.

Aqua looked over and saw that Olette was still_ completely_ enamored with Terra. Her emerald eyes hadn't left him and Terra was completely clueless. A blush was still dusting her still rounded cheeks and Aqua could tell the girl was absolutely awestruck. What was even more amusing was the fact that Terra was utterly oblivious. However, it was only amusing until Aqua saw herself reflecting back at her through Olette's eyes. A long time ago, Aqua had given Terra that same exact look and he had ignored her in the same exact way. He was just as clueless now as he had been then.

Pushing the thoughts away, the Keyblade Master smiled. "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Aqua and this is Terra."

"Hi." Terra waved. "Do you happen to know how long those monsters have been in town?"

"Hmm, maybe a day or two. Not too long. They're the reason Seifer was on our case. He has been acting as some kind of protector of the city since they showed up." Hayner rolled his eyes.

Aqua knelt down in front of them so she could be at eye level. "Promise me you'll stay away from them and won't try to fight them if you see any? Travel in groups and avoid isolated areas, okay?"

The children nodded.

"You should be fine if you stay together and no more rooftops," she chided lightly with playful wave of her finger, causing them to chuckle a bit.

"Come on, Aqua." Terra placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "We should get going."

"Right." She gave a nod. "It was nice meeting all of you. Be careful and remember what I said."

"Will we see you again?" Olette asked, the small trio taking a few steps toward Terra and Aqua as if attached to them by invisible strings.

The Keyblade wielders were taken back by the question.

Terra folded his arms and gazed at Aqua expectantly, knowing she could handle this particular situation better than he could ever hope to.

Aqua looked down and away briefly as she tried to come up with a respectable answer.

"Of course," she finally said, surprising Terra a bit. "We have a few things to take care of first but we'll come back to check on you soon." Gingerly, she patted both boys on the head and smiled warmly at Olette.

Aqua looked up at her partner. "Right, Terra?"

"Uh, right. Until then, try to stay out of trouble." Terra smiled and began making his way towards the Station Plaza.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette only seemed somewhat pacified but still pacified nonetheless. Aqua knew they probably had a mountain of questions but they couldn't give any answers. They couldn't meddle in the affairs of other worlds, which meant not answering questions that could divulge that other worlds existed.

"I hope they'll be okay…" Aqua mused, looking back over her shoulder, waving to the kids they left in their wake.

"If they listen to you, they'll be fine."

Her smile fell. "But what about the other kids out there…?"

Terra sighed and looked down, showing that his thoughts weren't all that different from hers.

"Terra, we can't leave others out there like those children at the mercy of the Unversed," she said softly, her tone hesitant but somehow sure. Seeing those children being attacked by the Unversed had cemented her resolve. "...I think we should risk it and go after Vanitas."

Terra stared at her for a long-suffering moment before nodding. "Okay."

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **_

_**One day there may be something to disprove the content I am portraying as 'fact' here but as of now (with only Birth by Sleep as my reference), I'm going to make the assumption that Terra was with Eraqus first and that Aqua was taken on as a pupil later. I'm sure the creators will eventually make a liar out of me in future KH games but for now, there is nothing I'm aware of to contest that this did or didn't happen, so yeah. **_

_**Thanks again for reading! **_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts in ANY way, shape, or form. I own NOTHING!

* * *

_**A/N:** REDO! You aren't crazy. I have RE-posted Ch. 9 but there are changes throughout, specifically about halfway through. So this chapter is technically an alternate Chapter 9 or Chapter 9 revised, however you want to look at it. I decided I didn't want certain aspects of this story anymore. I made this outline years ago and I've changed as a person and as a writer, thus, my tastes have changed…slightly. It is a minor change but a change nonetheless. This chapter is only partially new and I'm sure most of you will notice where I've made changes. That said, I will try to give you guys a COMPLETELY new chapter as soon as possible. I've just had to revise/repost some things in previous chapters before I could do that. I'd also like to sincerely and wholeheartedly apologize for the misleading, accidental update yesterday. Apparently, when you delete a chapter, this site thinks that's the same thing as an update... Who knew... Anyway! Enjoy!_

* * *

**_Chapter 9_**

* * *

It was extremely cold and there was snow and Unversed everywhere.

Aqua defeated what felt like the one millionth Blue Sea Salt Unversed with Triple Firaga before finally falling to her knees with exhaustion.

"You okay?" Terra called over the wailing, flurry-filled wind.

She nodded. "Yeah, I just need a minute…"

Terra eyed the area a moment longer, and once he was sure the swarm of Unversed was temporarily defeated he began walking against the snowstorm again.

He was starting to regret their decision to come to this particular world. The Land of Dragons, he believed it was called. The green valleys they had been traveling in shortly after their arrival were fine. It was warm, practically springtime but they followed the trail of Unversed into the mountains where everything was blanketed in white and couldn't be above freezing. To make matters worse, they were now trapped in a steadily intensifying snowstorm.

As expected, Master Yen Sid had no news from Master Eraqus regarding Ven. He still hadn't come home and Mickey and the others were still trying to stake out Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard, leaving Terra and Aqua to follow Vanitas' trail of Unversed in a blind, last resort effort to defeat him or use him to find Xehanort before the χ-blade could be forged.

Déjà vu. That was the exact word Terra would use to describe their current situation. They hopped from world to world in search of the Masked Boy, dealing with the chaos he left in his wake. The continually encountered situations that were not unlike the one with the kids back in Twilight Town. The Unversed were menaces, much worse than they'd been three years ago and if they were present, they were wreaking havoc in one form or another and he and Aqua would be forced to intervene, doing everything from clearing out entire cities to helping young women get back home.

So far their endeavors to pinpoint Vanitas had been fruitless but they weren't giving up. They went from world to world, checking the degree of Unversed infestation in each and asking the citizens they helped if they'd seen Vanitas. They had found clues and had yet to receive an abrupt dead-end, so they were trying to stay positive despite their increasing exhaustion. There were more Unversed here than there had been in other worlds so they were optimistic that Vanitas was close. He had to be because they weren't going to humor him much longer. They'd agree to continue searching like this for a little while then, they would probably go to the Keyblade Graveyard…and wait.

Aqua was lagging behind but Terra thought nothing of it. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. It wasn't unlike them to alternate leading positions. However, when he stopped hearing her gentle footfalls in the snow, he realized something could be wrong.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Aqua shivering on her knees, buried up to her hips in icy snow. Bursts of Fire were manifesting on her palms as she tried to warm herself with the flames but the magic couldn't sustain itself and she was likely too cold to conjure it properly. They had been out here too long and the strenuous activity of traveling and continually fighting Unversed was finally getting to them. They were Keyblade bearers but they were still human.

Terra turned in the mounting snow, walking against the storm to her crumpled form. It was a lot easier walking with the wind than against it. He wrapped his arms around his waist and tried to copy Aqua and cast some form of Fire magic to ward off the cold.

Aqua's eyes were shut, her limbs were trembling, and she looked like she was a few degrees away from freezing and passing out.

"Hey."

Aqua's eyes barely rose to regard him.

He held out his hand for her and she eyed it skeptically. Either she couldn't see it or didn't want it.

"I'm okay. I just…need a minute…" she repeated, the quiver in her voice suggesting she needed more than a minute.

"Here, I'll carry you." He took a step forward and extended his hand further.

"I-I don't need to be carried. It's okay…really."

Their time apart had caused them to resist relying on each other and asking for help. They had been alone for so long they relied on themselves first and foremost but Terra wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not this time.

He turned his back on her and knelt down in the snow.

Aqua's expression was nothing if not bemused. "W-What are you doing?"

"Giving you a ride. Come on. Get on before I lose the feeling in my legs."

Likely too frozen and tired to argue anymore, Aqua hoisted herself up out of the mounting snow and climbed onto his back. Her arms wound around his neck and her face rested near the curve of his shoulder, already using his form for warmth and as a shield from the cold.

Once she was in place, Terra looped his arms underneath the bend of her knees and rose to his feet.

She shivered against him for a while but she slowly began to grow still. It wasn't long before he felt her warming him too. She was like a heated blanket against his back, her arms around his neck worked as a form of scarf.

It wasn't long before Terra realized how close she was and he still wasn't particularly used to it given he had spent the last three years in self-induced exile. Not to mention that this was Aqua and this physical interaction could mean something simply because it was her, and it made his ears hot at the thought of it. It warmed him in more ways than one.

Her breath was on his neck and he shivered in a completely different way but he tried to ignore it. They needed to find shelter. He didn't need to be worrying about the sensations unraveling in his insides because of the girl on his back.

After what felt like a short eternity, Terra finally found a cave nestled in one of the many nearby mountainsides. It was the first one that wasn't merely a shadow or a trick of the eye. It was something they could actually get out of this snowstorm in!

"Aqua?" he called, shaking her a bit. "Do you see that?"

Terra could feel her head shifting on his shoulder as she moved around to get a better view.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she breathed. "We can finally get some shelter and some rest."

Now that Aqua had confirmed that it wasn't some kind of snow mirage, Terra picked up the pace and began rushing towards the cave as fast as he could with snow almost up to his kneecaps.

He crossed the cave's threshold and the instant he did, he was already almost ten degrees warmer. The walling blocked the wind, sparing it from winter's cold breath and the harsh, frozen elements inside it.

Aqua was still latched onto his back although he'd expected her to jump off the moment she got the chance. However, she seemed content clinging to his body heat. She was acting like a sponge and he was pretty sure she had somehow managed to get even closer to him since they'd entered the cave.

"Aqua?"

"Just a minute longer. I want to enjoy the body heat without the snowstorm on my back for a moment," she replied, her arms tightening against his neck and her nose grazing the curve of his shoulder.

Another shiver shot through him to his spine, sending all of his hairs on end and setting his nerve endings on fire. Everything was heightened at it was almost too much. It was like someone had lit a match inside him, sparking a hunger to life to the point that he almost ached.

He held the back of her knees a moment longer, trying to hold onto his fraying wits and swallow all of the feelings swarming angrily around inside him back down. He was too close to her and this close proximity was happening more and more and it was doing things to his head…

Thankfully, she began shifting and preparing to dismount. The metal of her shoes hit the cold ground and she began exploring the space around them, rubbing her bare shoulders as she went.

"We'll need a fire if we are going to get through the night," she said.

Terra nodded. "I'll go back out and try to find something for us to burn."

"Be careful."

"Come look for me if I'm not back in thirty minutes or so."

"That's not funny!" she called after him, causing him to chuckle on his way out of the cave.

* * *

Luckily, Aqua didn't have to come looking for him. He came back with arms full of twigs, branches, and every other part of a tree he thought they could possibly burn. He crossed the space, placed the wood into a nice pile, and sat down next to her.

Shivering, she lit the fire with Fira and from their proximity he could hear her teeth chattering in her mouth. He didn't realize how cold it was in here. He had been running around hacking up trees and looking for firewood, so his increased circulation had been saving him but now that he was still, it was creeping back into his bones.

Terra hadn't been sitting long before Aqua began inching closer to him and the warmth seeping off him. He tensed when she got close to putting her head on his shoulder.

"Sorry," she whispered. "You're just…warm." Her face flushed and she looked away with embarrassment.

That urge to hold her was back. That overwhelming, gnawing urge to be whatever she needed was pounding away at his skull. She was cold and his instincts—no, the Keychain was screaming for him to be her blanket.

Without thinking, he shifted so she could get closer to him and angled his body towards her.

Aqua looked reluctant at first but soon gravitated back to him. Terra reached down, took her hands in his, and brought them to his mouth where he began breathing on them and rubbing his hands together to try to create friction and warmth.

"Damn, Aqua! Can you even feel your fingers?" he asked when he felt how cold they were. It was like holding ten slender icicles in his hands!

She didn't answer for a long time. She was just staring at him as if Unversed were crawling out of his nose. She looked shocked, bemused but there was something more to her expression, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Eventually, she shook her head. "No."

"So you were just in here letting yourself freeze?"

"I didn't want to bother you, and I was fine with my Fire…until I got tired…"

Sighing, he pulled her closer to him by her hands, something he almost instantly regretted. His lips grazed her fingers and he shuttered again when he came into contact with her subtle body heat. Close. Too close but he didn't care.

They grew awkwardly quiet. They both knew there was more to this contact than just staying warm but neither of them wanted to discuss it or maybe they didn't want to break the spell that had been cast over them. It was easier, safer to just go through the motions and ignore complicated things like that, so they did.

Gently, Aqua shifted around against him and the wall, trying to find a more comfortable position. Terra complied, closing his eyes and holding his head back so she could move. Ultimately, she nestled under his chin, hiding her frozen features in his chest.

Terra took in a deep breath and wrapped her up in his arms. His eyes were suddenly heavy and his insides were all twisted and warm and he could smell her. Aqua's sweet lavender smell was right under his nose and there was a wonderful nostalgic quality to it. The smell filled him with euphoria that accompanied memories of better times, of happiness. It was the smell he'd been assaulted with whenever he went to her room or when he'd give her a bear hug after an argument or after felt guilty for snapping at her or to cheer her up or sometimes, just…because.

He'd forgotten how much he loved the way she smelled but before he could indulge in it further, he heard a familiar screeching sound.

"We've got company," he groused.

Aqua sighed heavily, signaling her displeasure without uttering a word. Begrudgingly, she left his hold, rose to her feet, summoned her Keyblade, and braced herself for whatever was waiting for them inside the blackness of the cave.

Casting Firaga and shooting it down into the belly of the cave, Terra could see their visitor. It looked like a Bruiser Unversed only it was almost the size of the Iron Imprisoner and was more white than blue and there was no black anywhere on its body. However, it still had the signature Unversed red eyes. It looked like a snow beast, cloaked in white fuzz with big blue fists and long black claws. It was huge.

"Use Fire attacks if you can! It's probably his weakness!" she shouted, running towards the Unversed as if it _wasn't_ almost as tall as the cave itself.

Following Aqua's lead, Terra summoned Earthshaker and rushed down into the cave.

Before he could even close in on the Unversed, Aqua had already pummeled it with Megaflare. Just how that girl still had the strength to cast Megaflare in this cold was beyond him but he quickly saw it didn't go without consequence. She was substantially slower after casting it. Her dodging lagged and her strikes lacked their usual power.

The Unversed was slow but it was strong, strong enough that they probably couldn't afford getting hit too many times. As a result, most of their energy went into simply dodging and evading. It flailed its bulky arms almost constantly and pounded its fits to the hard ground in blind attempts to pummel them, causing the cave to groan and rubble with pain.

Aqua and Terra would take turns distracting and attacking but hitting it seemed to just make it worse. Everything they did seemed to make it even angrier to the point that it was basically running off pure rage. Aqua would occasionally shift back to magic attacks when she could muster the strength, but Terra noticed she wasn't really casting anything more powerful than Fira. He shot Firaga at its head and torso when he could but he was getting tired too. They weren't prepared for this. They'd been fighting Unversed all day and the snowstorm all night. He couldn't even remember the last time they'd eaten or slept.

Conjuring Quake, Terra sent the Unversed reeling towards nearest wall. It crashed into the rock walling, causing the entire cave to shudder. It staggered a moment before sending its fists to the ground with every intention of crushing Aqua but somehow she managed to gracefully tumble out of the way.

Terra began trying to focus on hitting potential weak spots like the ankles and wrists with Earthshaker but there were no weak spots to be found. Its hide was too thick but as the thing bumbled around, Terra got the idea to go for the back of the head.

"Aqua! Distract it!"

She paused for a moment and gave him a look that told him that she was kind of confused as to what exactly it was that he wanted her to do that she wasn't already doing but she began tumbling around in front of the Unversed again anyway. Eventually, she managed to get it to follow her and turn its back to him.

It bent down again in an attempt to crush Aqua with both fists and once its back was somewhat flat, Terra rushed forward and leapt onto it. Almost immediately, the thing felt him and straightened its spine so it could try to claw him off its back.

Determined to not let this thing get the better of him, Terra moved rapidly and managed to strike it in the back of the head and stab it in the back of the neck. However, after he did the latter, the Unversed threw itself back first into the side of the cave in an attempt to smash him.

The force of being squished between the walling and roughly two tons of Unversed knocked the breath right out of him and his grip on his Keyblade slackened. The next thing he knew, the Unversed was grabbing him by the arm and hurling him into the other side of the cave as if he were no bigger than a flea. His head hit the rock walling a second time and this time it was enough to make everything go black.

"Terra!" Aqua screamed as Terra fell to the cave floor in a lifeless heap.

Her first instinct was to run to him and help him but the Unversed was in her way, as if it were purposely standing between them and trying to keep her from reviving him.

The panic chocking her suddenly dissolved into determination, which gave way to a new wave of strength.

Eyes narrowed, she began throwing every Fire-based spell she could think of at the Unversed. She cast and cast until it was blanketed in Fire.

Weakened to the point that her legs could no longer support her weight, Aqua collapsed onto her hands and knees. Her vision blurred from the exertion and her breath was too elusive to catch.

Literally able to do nothing else, Aqua could only watch the Unversed wail and try to fight off the Fire she'd coated it in. As she watched, all she could think was that she just wanted it to be over. She was all but begging it to fall over and accept defeat because if it didn't, she didn't know if she could fight it anymore. It would probably destroy her long before she had the chance to regain her stamina.

For what felt like forever, the Unversed wailed and swatted at the Fire on it's body before it finally tumbled over and didn't get back up.

"Terra…" Aqua breathed as she clumsily got back to her feet, effectively stumbling and falling down a few times before she got her footing.

Terra didn't respond and he wasn't moving. He was so still, still to the point that it genuinely frightened her. Her heart nosedived into her stomach then, her stomach plummeted into the soles of her shoes. Panic was choking her again and she couldn't breathe.

When she managed to reach him, she fell to her knees beside him and pressed her ear to his chest over his heart. His breathing was shallow and his heartbeat was weak but he was still with her.

"Terra." Her voice was gentle as if she were afraid to speak. Maybe she was. Maybe she was terrified of him not answering her.

He was filthy, covered in cuts, bruises, and rock debris. At first, it was as if she were afraid to touch him. She hesitated several times before gaining the courage to put hands on him.

Subconsciously, she dusted him off and took his face in her hands. She was calling his name again and again, this time a bit more loudly. As she slapped at his cheek and began trying to rub Cure into his head, she realized she was shaking.

Seeing him unconscious and so helpless like this made her realize how much she depended on him, how much he meant to her…

He had to be okay. He had to wake up. She couldn't do this without him. She didn't feel like she could go on if she lost him too, not after everything, not after she was _just_ getting used to having him in her life again. She was starting to remember what it was like to feel like herself, to almost feel…_whole_ again. She didn't want to know a world without him _and _Ven in it.

"Terra… I need you to wake up. Ven and I need you… I can't find him without you… I'm not even sure if I could finish this at all without you… Please…"

Frantic, she alternated between shaking him, patting his cheek, and trying to cast any variation of Cure on him that she could muster, which wasn't much. At one point, she caught herself caressing the edges of his face with her fingertips, running her thumb along his jaw as she begged him to come to. Why she did this was beyond her. She didn't know what good it could possibly do but for some reason it was making her feel better.

"…Aqua…?"

The sound of Terra's rough voice caused her to twitch. On instinct, she beamed at him, helpless to stop the smile that blossomed across her face at the mere sound of his voice. When those cloudy, midnight blue eyes eased open, she could suddenly breath again. The terrible tightness in her chest was gone but she then felt like crying. Whether they were tears of joy or sadness, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey," she breathed shakily, placing a hand on his cheek and caressing the side of his face with her thumbs. "I'm here."

His dark blue eyes fluttered for a few moments as he drunkenly wrapped his fingers around her other wrist, as if fulfilling some need to touch her and ensure that she was indeed there and that his eyes weren't deceiving him.

"I'm here," she repeated as she pushed some of his hair off his face.

"You're okay?" His hand tightened around her wrist, his thumb almost caressing the skin underneath.

"I'm fine." She smiled again although her eyes burned and begged to tear, her abundant emotions spiraling out of control.

Terra seemed pacified once he learned she was all right. His hand melted away and it amused her that he didn't care about the Unversed or how long he'd been unconscious. The first and only thing he asked about was her. It was touching but she knew that if it weren't for their bond, he wouldn't be acting this way, at least not to this extent. And this bond wouldn't last. One day it would rip them apart as easily as it had brought them together. Whatever heightened feelings he felt for her now weren't real. Once their Keychain shattered, these sentiments of his would melt away just like his touch had.

She needed to stop touching him. He was awake and she was running out of excuses to keep holding on, but it felt impossible to let him go. It felt like it would be fatal or physically impossible for her to do so. She never wanted to let him go again for the fear of losing him again, so she decided to hold on for just a little longer. One more touch wouldn't hurt…even if he were conscious. She wanted to make moments like these last while she had the chance.

"Do you… Do you want to try to get up?" she asked, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. She didn't want him to know how emotional she was, how close she was to sobbing.

He grinned again, looking a little less drunk, the cloudiness leaving his eyes. "Yeah."

Aqua bent down, looping her arms around his torso and helping him sit upright. He sat there for a moment, rubbing his temples before he eased his way onto his feet. He wobbled a bit, looking like he might fall back down but before he could she was wrapping her arms around him but not in a way that either of them was expecting. She was hugging him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and shoulders, holding on for dear life.

"Whoa. Hey. It's okay," he said lowly, his voice lacking its usual steady depth. He also sounded a bit unsure and confused but she felt his arms winding around her anyway.

"You scared me," she admitted, her body betraying her with its persistent trembling.

"It's not so fun with the shoe on the other foot, is it?" Terra smirked.

"Not at all."

He laughed dryly. "I'll try to stay out of trouble if you will."

"I will," she agreed even though she knew that there was no way for them to prevent things like this. Even though they now had this verbal pact in place, some things were unavoidable. Deep down they both knew that it was only a matter of time before one of them got into trouble again but this was what they'd chosen to do with their lives and being in harms way was just part of it. Still, that didn't make seeing him hurt any easier.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd hugged him like this. She'd been so guarded and reluctant when it came to him because he felt so…temporary, like he could go up in smoke at any minute. But the thought of him not getting back up had shaken her so much she realized just how far he'd burrowed his way into her heart again… Maybe he'd never really left it. Maybe he'd just been contentedly sleeping inside it, waiting for something to stir him back to life.

Saying that he'd scared her was actually an understatement. He scared her on many levels beyond this one. Aqua was a Keyblade Master. She faced danger on a daily basis. She stared it in the face without flinching. Nothing should scare or intimidate her anymore…but he did. He scared her because she loved him like she'd never loved anyone else and losing him to Xehanort and his own darkness had hurt her. It had hurt her deeply, leaving extensive scaring on her heart.

"I'm fine. It's fine. I just got a little banged up. That's all," he insisted, one of his hands rubbing up and down the length of her back.

Nodding, she pulled away and placed a hand on his cheek again. He smiled down at her as she scanned him for injuries. His eyes locked onto hers and her breath lodged in her throat. She was within dangerous proximity of him once again. She forgot how handsome he was up close. His dark hair was soft. His lashes just long enough… His tan skin warming beneath her fingertips… She could feel his darkness too. Oddly enough, it was warm too but in a different way. Briefly, she wondered if it was contagious.

For the first time in her life, she almost understood the appeal of darkness. It was oddly inviting as it subtly radiated out of him although her instincts knew better. She could only sense the danger but she did feel something other than apprehension. However, she wasn't sure if the allure was the darkness itself or the fact that it was _Terra's _darkness. His darkness didn't feel like Xehanort's or Vanitas'. It wasn't pungent and it didn't suffocate her. Terra's darkness was tantalizing, warm and had the appeal of a scalding hot bath.

His smile faded and his brow wrinkled with confusion. "What is it?"

Aqua's face flushed as she snatched her hand away. "Huh? What? Nothing. I'm gonna get you a Hi-Potion."

Slowly, she regained her wits and finally pulled away but like always, leaving his embrace left her feeling cold and empty. She didn't want to know how empty she would feel once their Keychain was gone, once their current closeness no longer existed. The thought of that hurt and it hurt a lot, so she pushed it and her feelings away to be dealt with later.

After giving Terra a Hi-Potion, she rebuilt their little campfire, knowing that their original plan to wait out the storm until morning was still the best plan, especially now that Terra was probably more hurt than he was letting on.

Eventually, they tried to settle back in next to their fire for the night. Initially, Aqua had resolved to not use Terra for warmth again but once the adrenaline faded and she got still, she found herself inching towards him. Soon, she was leaning against him with one of his arms loosely draped over her shoulders.

She stared at the reds, yellows, and oranges fighting for dominance within the fire while listening to the crackling wood and the distinct sound of Terra's sturdy breathing against her.

Her muscles began melting, going limp with exhaustion. She remembered thinking that she really and truly was getting_ way _too use to his presence just as sleep wrapped its tendrils around her and pulled her under.

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! _**

**_Wow. It has really been a while since I delved back into this story but better late than never, right? I believe I've got this story back on track so the next chapter should be up soon and should have COMPLETELY new material!_**

**_Thanks again for reading!_**


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